Malcolm Richmond, 71, and his wife Elaine, 70, died during a Christmas holiday to the Maldives before it ended tragically with both of them dying just days apart, an inquest has heard

A photo of Elaine (left) and Malcolm

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Elaine (left) and Malcolm died just days apart, an inquest heard (Image: Facebook/Stubbins & Hope Funeral Directors)

A British man died just days after his wife died in a scuba diving accident while they were on holiday, an inquest has heard.

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Malcolm Richmond, 71, was on holiday in the Maldives with his wife Elaine, 70, when she was suddenly pulled further into the sea by a strong current on December 19last year. An inquest heard Malcolm died five days later while he waited at the airport for his flight home.

The retired miner from Chesterfield, Derbyshire, had been “heavily intoxicated,” the inquest heard. Mr Richmond’s cause of death was given as acute alcohol intoxication, multi-organ dysfunction and cardiac arrest.

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A photo of the pair preparing to scuba dive

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The couple were experienced divers (Image: Facebook/Ellaidhoo Maldives)

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Speaking about Mrs Richmond’s death, assistant coroner Matthew Kewley said: “Based on what is known at the moment from a report provided by the Maldives police authorities, on December 19 hospital staff notified the police that Mrs Richmond had been brought to hospital from a resort in Ellaidhoo following a scuba diving incident. “That report suggested that Elaine Richmond and her husband were professional divers. I think they mean experienced divers, it’s not suggested they were working as divers.

Chesterfield Coroner’s Court heard the couple flew to the Maldives on “many previous occasions” and were known to be experienced divers. Assistant coroner Matthew Kewley said: “On this particular day they had carried out a dive when the sea conditions deteriorated which unfortunately led to Mrs Richmond being pulled away in a strong current.

“Her husband immediately raised the alarm and sought assistance and a search was commenced but sadly the body of Mrs Richmond was then recovered from the water.” Elaine, who the inquest heard was a currency handler, died as a result of drowning and asphyxiation, the hospital in the Maldives said.

Mr Kewley added: “It’s understood that Mr Richmond had been admitted to hospital on December 21, after his health had deteriorated whilst he was at the airport waiting to leave the Maldives. It was reported that he was heavily intoxicated at the airport.”

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The inquest heard hospital staff alerted police in the Maldives on December 24 following Malcolm’s death, reports The Sun. Both deaths were referred to a coroner in the UK on January 6 after the bodies of Malcolm and Elaine were repatriated to the UK.

A full inquest is due to take part at a later date when more inquiries with authorities in the Maldives is complete.