In short
- Leanne Gregory, 36, from Stapleford in Nottinghamshire, died in the Bahamas after her sons were swept away by a strong current while the family was snorkelling off the island of Bimini.
- 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.
- The children were rescued from the water, but Leanne Gregory was confirmed dead at a local medical clinic, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
- Her husband, Nathan Gregory, said the couple had been together for 22 years and described her as his childhood sweetheart.
- The Royal Bahamas Police Force said an autopsy would be conducted and that foul play is not suspected.
Leanne Gregory, a 36-year-old British woman from Stapleford in Nottinghamshire, died after her sons were swept away by a strong current while the family was snorkelling off the island of Bimini in the Bahamas, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said. The children were rescued from the water; their mother was not.
What happened off Bimini?
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.
According to the force, Leanne Gregory was brought to the ferry dock after she was swept away and was given CPR there. She was then taken to a local medical clinic, where she was confirmed dead.
The force said the boys were swept away by a strong current while the family was snorkelling, and that the children were rescued from the water off Bimini.
Who was Leanne Gregory?
Leanne Gregory lived in Stapleford, Nottinghamshire, and had been with her husband Nathan Gregory for 22 years.
In a Facebook post, Nathan Gregory said the loss of his “childhood sweetheart” was “unimaginable for our family” and described her as “the purest, most amazing wife, mother and friend to have ever walked this Earth”.
He also wrote: “I will never get over this, she was my soulmate, my childhood sweetheart, my one and only. The foundation of my entire family and the strength that held us all together.”
What did her husband say about the rescue?
Nathan Gregory said he had set up a fundraising page “for my sons and security after the tragic loss”.
In a post on that page, he described how his wife had held on to their son until he was rescued “but didn’t have the energy to save herself”.
“My boys had to witness something nobody should ever have to see of any age, but they know Mum died an absolute hero,” he wrote.
He added: “I just have to be thankful for the hero she was in life and in death, and totally grateful for the fact my boys got out safely.”
What has the UK Foreign Office said?
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are with the family of a British woman who has died in the Bahamas. We are in contact with the local authorities and providing support to her family.”
What happens next?
The Royal Bahamas Police Force said an autopsy would be conducted, adding that “foul play is not suspected”.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Leanne Gregory?
Leanne Gregory was a 36-year-old British woman from Stapleford in Nottinghamshire. She died after being swept away by a strong current while snorkelling with her family off the island of Bimini in the Bahamas.
Were her sons rescued in the Bahamas?
Yes. The Royal Bahamas Police Force said the children were rescued from the water off Bimini. Her husband, Nathan Gregory, said she held on to their son until he was rescued but did not have the energy to save herself.
Where was the woman found in Bimini?
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, where CPR was given before she was taken to a local medical clinic.
Is anyone suspected of foul play in her death?
The Royal Bahamas Police Force said foul play is not suspected and that an autopsy would be conducted.
With reporting from BBC News.