Holidaymaker died while ‘walking to shipwreck’ with granddaughter on UK beach as family pay heartbreaking tribute

A MAN has died aft trying to research a shipwreck connected a UK formation with his granddaughter arsenic his heartbroken household wage tribute.

Raymond Mills, 74, tragically mislaid his beingness connected Brancaster beach, successful Norfolk, connected August 17 past year. 

An inquest astatine Norfolk Coroner's Court heard the beloved gramps had been caught retired by the tide portion walking to the SS Vina.

The wreck, a "well-known section tourer attraction" sits abandoned astir 800 metres disconnected the main formation and is exposed astatine debased water.

Mr Mills had planned the travel but was trapped successful beardown currents adjacent to the ship, arsenic reported by the EasternDailyPress.

The inquest heard helium disappeared nether the h2o erstwhile helium entered an country known arsenic Wreck Sands, infamous for beardown tides.

His granddaughter managed to get backmost to the enactment safely and a hunt ngo was launched at around 1.30pm.

Mr Mills was recovered successful the h2o by a chopper astatine astir 2.30pm and rushed to Norwich Airport, wherever helium was pronounced dormant upon arrival.

His heartbroken woman Jacqueline paid an affectional tribute and said: “Ray was my rock. We'd been unneurotic for 53 years and joined astir 49 of those.

"He retired successful January 2018, and we’d hoped to person galore much blessed years together.

“He was an technologist and his applicable skills knew nary bounds."

She told however his 3 grandchildren were the airy of his life, and helium was "absolutely adored" arsenic a granddad.

The widow besides told the inquest Ray was "super careful" and would ne'er person enactment himself, oregon anyone else, successful information knowingly.

She added however her aboriginal hubby was “not a precise bully swimmer and was not overly acquainted with the Brancaster area”.

Mrs Mills besides shared her gratitude for the coastguard hunt and rescue team, arsenic good arsenic those who supported their grandchildren connected the beach.

Samantha Goward, the country coroner, told the inquest a station mortem revealed Mr Mills had a bosom information which whitethorn person contributed to his death.

Mr Mills had unknowingly been suffering from atherosclerosis, a gradual build-up of plaque successful the walls of arteries, successful his main coronary artery.

The study said: “Although this causes narrowing of the [arteries], it is not capable to beryllium considered severe.

“Exposure to acold h2o nevertheless whitethorn good person caused a spasm of this artery, producing further narrowing… successful crook causing a fatal cardiac dysrhythmia."

The station mortem added: "It is imaginable that drowning besides played a portion successful causing death.”

Mrs Goward concluded Mr Mills died owed to an “accident caused by underlying earthy causes”.

'INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS ATTRACTION'

During the inquest, Mrs Mills warned of the "very existent dangers" surrounding the wreck.

She said: "Much much needs to beryllium done informing the nationalist of this.

"Maybe vacation resorts should marque visitors alert conscionable however fatal the wreck country tin be."

The widow called for the wreck, which she branded an "incredibly unsafe attraction" to beryllium removed wholly to debar further tragedies.

The National Trust submitted pictured of informing signs astatine the formation to the coroner.

But Mrs Mills said the signage astatine the determination was “not capable for warnings”.

Her daughter-in-law, Caroline Mills, who's girl was with her gramps erstwhile helium ventured to the wreck, told the inquest she believed helium had been panicking.

“So I deliberation he’d person been looking retired for things similar signs and warnings," she said.

"And if determination had been a beingness buoy connected the boat, helium whitethorn person considered [using] it."

Caroline claimed determination was besides "confusion" implicit tide times, which she alleged could person been owed to signs astatine the beach.

The country coroner said she would inquire the National Trust for much accusation astir the signage.

“If, aft I perceive backmost from them, I americium inactive acrophobic and my work is triggered, I tin contented a Prevention of Future Deaths report," she said.

Officials antecedently ruled retired designating Brancaster a bathing formation aft the National Trust raised information concerns.

These included a deficiency of lifeguards connected the formation and beardown tides,as good arsenic the SS Vina.

The RNLI person rescued respective radical trying to sojourn the wreck earlier aft they were caught retired connected Wreck Sands.

A spokesperson for the National Trust antecedently said: “We’re mindful that Brancaster Beach does not person a lifeguard beingness and is simply a formation that experiences a fast-flowing tidal range, with imaginable hazards successful the h2o specified arsenic the SS Vina shipwreck and wartime relics.”