A father died while attempting to rescue his daughter after she was swept out to sea during a fishing trip in Newquay, an inquest has heard. John Peter Collins, 66, and his 32-year-old daughter Samantha Adele Collins, from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, were on holiday in the seaside town.
The pair were fishing on rocks at Fistral Beach on July 26 when Samantha fell into the water. Her father then entered the sea in an effort to save her, but both were unable to be rescued. Emergency services were called to the scene at approximately 9:45 p.m. and pronounced them dead at the location.
Cornwall Coroner's Court was told that Samantha was seen in the sea with her handbag, described as orange or peach in color with a shoulder strap. A police spokesperson noted that the bag was thought to contain personal items of significant sentimental value.
Assistant coroner Emma Hillson stated that the father's attempt to save his daughter was tragically unsuccessful. Post-mortem examinations conducted at the Royal Cornwall Hospital on July 29 recorded drowning as the provisional cause of death for both individuals.
The coroner indicated that due to the circumstances, a full inquest will be held on July 19, 2027, at 10 a.m. The hearing in Truro was informed that Mr. Collins was a married, retired technical engineer, and his daughter was single. The family has requested that anyone finding a handbag matching the description contact Newquay police station or report it with incident number 50260197209.