British couple died inside seconds of one another whereas strolling alongside Caribbean seashore on household vacation, inquest advised

A British couple enjoying a dream Caribbean holiday collapsed and died within seconds of each other, an inquest has heard.

David and Rosalind Forster, both 76, had been strolling along Paradise Beach on the island of Carriacou when the tragic incident occurred in March earlier this year.

Having just left a restaurant where they had been dining with their daughter and son-in-law, David suffered a cardiac arrest as they were walking back to their hotel along the water’s edge.

Rosalind then suffered from an acute shock reaction to the traumatic event.

The couple’s daughter, Julie, and her husband, Dr David Beckett, arrived on the scene minutes later to find locals administering CPR to both 76-year-olds.

Mr Forster had previously suffered from heart problems, the inquest heard, and fell into the shallow sea water next to him during the cardiac arrest.

Attempts to resuscitate the pensioner went on for roughly 30 minutes but he was pronounced dead on the beach.

His wife Rosalind was transferred to a local hospital but died later the same day, March 9. 

The couple had been walking along Paradise Beach (pictured) on Carriacou Island, Grenada, when the tragic incident occurred

The inquest into the couple’s deaths was held at Bournemouth Coroner’s Court

A post-mortem examination revealed that Rosalind died from the aspiration of her stomach contents into her airways as a result of the acute shock reaction.

Originally from Newcastle, the couple had spent the last decade living in Poole, Dorset.

In a written statement read out before the inquest, the couple’s son-in-law Dr Beckett recounted the tragic event: ‘We proceeded to pay for lunch while they walked towards beach and back to accommodation.

‘We followed them on to the beach two or three minutes later and David was on his back receiving CPR while Rosalind was being held by another person while unconscious.

‘They carried on CPR for 30 minutes but there were no signs of life. David was pronounced dead at the scene and Rosalind was taken to hospital where she died’.

The post-mortems also showed that David, who had a pacemaker fitted, died from drowning brought on by a cardiac arrest.

Dorset senior coroner Brendan Allen, who offered his condolences to the Forster family, stated that in David’s unresponsive state he had ingested sea water.

Mr Allen then delivered a ruling of accidental death by a medically occurring disease in relation to the retired project manager.

‘David Forster collapsed while walking on a beach with his wife. He fell into the water and in his unresponsive state ingested sea water and despite attempts to resuscitate him he died at the scene’, Mr Allen said.

‘Rosalind Forster witnessed her husband suddenly collapse and became unresponsive herself through aspiration of stomatch contents due to an acute shock reaction.

‘Efforts were made to resuscitate her at the scene and she was transferred to hospital but died later that day. I offer my condolences to family and friends for such a sudden and tragic loss of life’, the coroner added.