A man from the UK passed away shortly after his wife’s scuba diving accident during their vacation in the Maldives, according to an official inquiry.

Malcolm Richmond, aged 71, was on a holiday trip with his spouse Elaine, aged 70, when she got caught in a strong current on December 19 last year. Tragically, Malcolm lost his life five days later while waiting for his flight back home at the airport.

The retired miner from Chesterfield, Derbyshire, was reportedly heavily intoxicated at the time of the incident. The cause of Mr. Richmond’s death was determined to be acute alcohol intoxication, multi-organ dysfunction, and cardiac arrest.

The assistant coroner, Matthew Kewley, provided details about Mrs. Richmond’s accident, stating that she and her husband were experienced divers, not professional divers as initially reported by the Maldives police authorities. The couple, known for their frequent visits to the Maldives and diving expertise, encountered challenging sea conditions that led to Mrs. Richmond being swept away by a strong current.

Upon noticing his wife’s distress, Mr. Richmond raised an alarm and sought help, triggering a search operation that unfortunately ended with Mrs. Richmond’s body being recovered from the water. Elaine, described as a currency handler, succumbed to drowning and asphyxiation, as confirmed by the hospital in the Maldives.

It was revealed that Mr. Richmond’s health deteriorated while at the airport, leading to his hospitalization on December 21. Reports indicated that he was heavily intoxicated during his time at the airport. Hospital staff in the Maldives informed the local police of Malcolm’s passing on December 24, as reported by The Sun. The bodies of Malcolm and Elaine were repatriated to the UK, with both deaths subsequently referred to a coroner in the UK on January 6.

Further investigations are ongoing in collaboration with authorities in the Maldives, and a comprehensive inquest is scheduled to proceed once all inquiries are concluded.