Hold my hand
What tragic father who rescued his ten-year-old daughter from the sea told her before he drowned
A COMPANY director told his daughter to ‘hold my hand’ as he battled to save her before drowning in strong currents.
The final words of Simon Pearson, 47, were revealed at an inquest into his death on a family holiday in Italy last month.
He eventually lost his strength and fell unconscious in the sea as ten-year- old Lily was rescued by another man. Italian beach worker, Martino Maggi, 49, also perished after wading into the sea near Ostuni, Puglia, to try to help.
Mr Pearson’s family did not go to the hearing in Shrewsbury on Thursday but his widow Emma, 43, submitted a statement. She wrote: ‘Lily told me that the whole time the only word Simon uttered was “hold my hand”.
‘She said “he was working so hard to try and save me” but then her dad lost his strength.
‘Simon was a dearly loved hus- band, son and father and we will never forget how hard Simon worked to save his daughter.’
He had been swimming with Lily and his father-in-law Anthony McGregor at the Lido Bosco Verde, a resort the family had been visiting for 15 years.
There was a storm two days before the tragedy on July 18 and people had been warned not to swim the day before. In her state- ment, Mrs Pearson, of Montgomery, Mid Wales, said there was no warning on July 18 and the sea seemed ‘gentle’ although there were red flags warning swimmers to be cautious.
‘My attention was drawn from Simon and Lily to my father,’ she wrote. ‘He was swimming and stopping which was odd.
‘I wondered why he was not coming back to shore. He told me after that he was trying to get my attention to warn others not to come into the water because of the strong current.
‘I was shouting to him to get back. I heard him shout “Emma help me”. I went to a lifeboat station and I was shouting for help.
‘A man entered the water and started going towards Simon and Lily. I tried to get the boat out but I couldn’t manage it.
‘A second and a third man came as I was still shouting for help. I saw Simon holding Lily above the water. The other man was struggling.’
The inquest heard that Mr Maggi and another man known as Ibrahim swam towards Mr Pearson and Lily. Ibrahim took the schoolgirl back to shore but Mr Maggi also got into difficulty and drowned.
Mrs Pearson, who also has a son Montgomery, six, added: ‘ Ibrahim managed to reach Lily and got her
‘He was holding her above the water’
back. He told me after he had to make a choice between Simon and Lily, and he couldn’t get both back.
‘By this time a number of people formed a human chain to get to Simon. I realised that he was dead. I realised that Martino had not returned. I could see him floating, I knew he was dead.
‘As I walked past Martino, I touched his chest and told him I was sorry and I know he tried to help Simon.’
The inquest was told doctors in Italy found that Mr Pearson’s lungs were full of water. Shropshire Coroner John Ellery recorded a conclusion his death was caused by drown- ing. ‘It was clearly an accident,’ he said. ‘This was a double tragedy.’
Four days before Mr Pearson’s death, lifeguards rescued three Russian tourists and an Italian who got into difficulties on a nearby beach.