Leanne Gregory died after being swept away while trying to save her son during a family snorkelling trip in the Bahamas. The 36-year-old, from Stapleford in Nottinghamshire, was in the water off Bimini on Tuesday when a strong current pulled the boys away.
Her children were pulled from the water, but Gregory could not be saved. Her husband, Nathan Gregory, said the loss of his childhood sweetheart after 22 years together was unimaginable, and said their boys had to watch something no child should ever see.
He said Gregory held on to their son until he was rescued, but did not have the energy to save herself. In a post shared after her death, he described her as the purest, most amazing wife, mother and friend to have ever walked this Earth, and said he had set up a fundraising page for his sons and security after the tragedy.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force said officers received reports shortly after 10:00 local time on Tuesday that a woman had been found unresponsive at the North Bimini Ferry Dock. Police said she had been brought there after being swept away, CPR was given and she was later confirmed dead at a local medical clinic. They said foul play is not suspected and that an autopsy will be conducted.
The incident has left one clear gap: how many sons were caught in the current. What is not in doubt is that the rescue attempt ended with the children surviving and their mother dying after doing everything she could to keep them alive. A Foreign Office spokesperson said its thoughts were with the family of a British woman who has died in the Bahamas and said it was in contact with local authorities while providing support.
