British woman dies near Bimini after police say strong current swept sons

Police say children were rescued and autopsy is pending

A 36-year-old British woman died in the Bahamas on Tuesday after she was swept away while trying to rescue her two sons, the Royal Bahamas police force said. The family was snorkelling near Bimini. The boys were later rescued, while the woman was also rescued and died after efforts to save her life.

According to the preliminary report, the woman was snorkelling with her husband and two sons near the southern point of the island when a strong current reportedly swept both children away. Police said: “In an attempt to rescue her sons, the woman was also swept away.”

The woman was later rescued and transported to the North Bimini ferry dock, where CPR was reportedly administered. Both children were later rescued from the water.

Officers at the Alice Town police station received information shortly after 10am that a female was unresponsive at the North Bimini ferry dock, according to the police statement. When officers arrived, they learned that the woman had been transported to the local clinic for medical attention, where a local doctor pronounced her dead despite efforts to save her life.

The Royal Bahamas police force said it had launched an investigation after the death. In a statement posted on social media, the force said: “Foul play is not suspected at this time.” The statement added that an autopsy would be carried out to help determine the exact cause of death.

The British Foreign Office said it was in contact with the woman’s family and was providing support. A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development 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.”

Bimini is a small island between Andros, the largest landmass in the Bahamas, and Miami in the US. It is the closest point in the Bahamas to the US mainland.

Bimini is best known for once being home to Ernest Hemingway and is also home to a world-leading shark research centre. The exact cause of the woman’s death remained undetermined pending the autopsy.