A British woman drowned in the Bahamas after being swept away by strong currents while trying to save her two sons, her husband has said.
Leanne Gregory, 36, was snorkelling with Nathan Gregory and their children near the southern point of Bimini when the boys were carried into deeper, treacherous water.
Mr Gregory said his wife reached their younger son, Leo, and kept him above the surface until a rescue boat arrived. She was swept under by a large wave moments after helping him aboard.
The couple, from Stapleford in Nottinghamshire, had been on holiday for just 48 hours and were beginning a cruise around the islands to mark their tenth wedding anniversary.
Husband recalls desperate rescue attempt
Mr Gregory said the family had only just arrived at the beach when the boys entered shallow water wearing snorkel masks.
“When we turned around a minute later, they had been swept from the calm water they were paddling in towards treacherous water on a rip tide,” he said.
He ran towards his elder son, Scott, while Leanne swam towards Leo. Mr Gregory said the waves were so powerful that he struggled to make progress, yet his wife reached their younger child first.
“She reached Leo and kept him above water, even though she was being overwhelmed by the roughness of the sea,” he said.
Mr Gregory said he was unable to get Scott safely onto his back and realised he needed help. He told his son to float on his back while he called to a passing boat.
“I screamed with all my heart for a passing boat,” he said. “It took a lot of screaming and people on the beach joined me, but eventually they noticed and started following my directions.”
He said Leanne used her “last bit of strength” to push Leo towards the boat. But seconds after the boy was lifted aboard, a “massive freak wave” struck the side of the vessel and moved it several metres away from her.
“She reappeared for a moment, but then completely disappeared from view,” Mr Gregory said.
With help from others, he brought his wife from the water and performed CPR. She was taken to a local clinic but was pronounced dead despite efforts to save her.
“If it wasn’t for Leanne staying strong and holding my youngest boy, he would have died minutes before the boat finally arrived,” Mr Gregory said. “She died a total hero and she needs to be remembered as one.”
Tributes to Leanne Gregory
Mr Gregory said he and Leanne had known each other since primary school and began dating when they were 14. He described her as “the most amazing person who ever walked this earth” and said she had been the foundation of their family.
“She was my soulmate, my childhood sweetheart, my one and only,” he said. “I will never get over this. Our lives will never be the same.”
He said he would raise their sons as Leanne had wanted and ensure he was there for their every need. He has also set up a fundraising page to help support the boys after being encouraged to do so by friends and relatives.
Mr Gregory’s mother, Kim Jones, described Leanne as “the best mum in the world” and said the family had been left in shock.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force said preliminary information indicated that a strong current had swept both children away before Leanne was also carried out to sea while attempting to rescue them.
Police said foul play was not suspected and that an autopsy would be conducted to help establish the exact cause of death.
A Foreign Office spokesman 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.”
