Berliner Tageblatt - Mother dies after rescuing sons from riptide in the Bahamas

Leanne Gregory, 36, died after entering the sea to save her two sons from a riptide during a family trip to the Bahamas; both boys survived.

Leanne Gregory and husband Nathan booked the trip to the Bahamas for themselves and their two boys as an early celebration of their anniversary in December, he revealed.

But when a riptide dragged the two boys out to sea on Tuesday morning, their parents rushed in after them.

While both boys were saved, Leanne, 36, was pulled from the water unresponsive and later pronounced dead.

Speaking on Sunday, Nathan explained how Leanne was his ‘childhood sweetheart’ and ‘soulmate’ who he’d been with for 22 years.

‘I’ve known her since infant school,’ he told the BBC.

‘We first got together when we were 14… so 22 years.’

Nathan, who has since returned with his boys to their family home in Stapleford, Nottinghamshire, said the whole ordeal happened in less than 10 minutes.

Beforehand, the boys had been snorkelling in shallow water as their parents sorted out their towels and bags on the beach in Bimini, Nathan revealed.

When they got into difficulties, Leanne did everything to save her children and, despite Nathan’s trying to resuscitate her, she never regained consciousness.

She was later taken to hospital, where she was sadly pronounced dead, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said.

Paying tribute to his late wife, Nathan said that the pain of losing her was ‘unimaginable’, but she was a ‘hero… in life and in death’.

‘There are no words I can use to describe Leanne,’ he said.

‘She was the purest of people, the most generous, kind and beautiful person who ever walked the earth.

‘She was the perfect mother’

‘Our relationship was perfect. She was the perfect mother. The perfect wife. The foundation of our entire family.’

Nathan also said that Royal Caribbean and Virgin Airlines had been ‘absolutely incredible’ and ‘made an impossible journey home so much easier’.

He has now vowed to keep ‘strong for his boys’ and said a GoFundMe page to support the family had raised nearly £9,000.

More tributes have also been paid to the family since the tragedy.

Richard MacRae, who represents Stapleford North at Broxtowe Borough Council, said: ‘It’s heartbreaking when something tragic happens and people have got young kids involved. It is just a different level.

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‘My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends and the wider community.’

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office 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.’

In a statement posted on social media, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said an autopsy would be conducted but ‘foul play is not suspected’.

C.Meier--BTB