This is the British woman who fainted and died in front of her partner while swimming in the Mediterranean while on vacation.
Deborah Hooper was with Andrew Ashman, a 72-year-old retired accountant, when she reportedly experienced a heart collapse in strong seas.
Last Friday, tragedy struck while the couple was strolling along a beach in Punta Secca near Ragusa on the Italian island of Sicily.
The Italian authorities believe she suffered “some sort of medical issue” while swimming.
The 64-year-old woman was rescued from the river by bystanders, but she could not be saved despite the best efforts of the medical staff.
Deborah, a native of Salisbury, Wiltshire, took a strong interest in cathedral music and published the monthly Cathedral Voices until she resigned last year, though she continued to work as a sub-editor and proofreader.
One of her final essays published in January of this year was about Dr. Richard Seal, the organist and choirmaster at Salisbury Cathedral, who passed away in July.
Canon Edward Probert, Cannon Chancellor of Salisbury Cathedral, who had known Deborah for 18 years through her participation in cathedral music and as a member of the cathedral’s volunteer group, paid homage to her in a statement to MailOnline.
Deborah Hooper, 64, died on Friday, October 14, from what is believed to have been a heart attack.
The British visitor grew unwell and died while on vacation at Punta Secca, a fishing village in southern Sicily (picture).
He stated, “The loss of such a cherished member of our cathedral’s community is devastating. Deborah cherished cathedral music, and her children were members of our choir.
She afterwards became an usher at our services. She was considerate, humorous, and a loyal friend. She will be missed much.
Deborah went swimming despite the water being “rough and chilly” and in an area where there was no lifeguard on duty during the off-season, according to the Italian Carabinieri Police.
The beach is famous for being the beachside residence of the popular Italian television detective Inspector Montalbano, whose opening titles are broadcast on BBC television.
Lt. Col. Giovanni Palatini, a spokesman for the Carabinieri police, told MailOnline, “The British woman entered the sea, which was rough and freezing at the time, and we suspect she had a medical episode.”
Her companion and two other beachgoers saw that she was in distress, but because the water was too turbulent, they were unable to enter and had to wait until she was closer to the shore.
They attempted to revive her with the assistance of paramedics who were dispatched to the scene, but there was nothing that could be done.
Mr. Ashman is from Hampstead in north-west London, and after his retirement he took up painting and appeared on the BBC program Make Me A Dealer, which is about the antiques trade.
Officials reported that a local prosecutor and coroner had authorized the repatriation of her body to the United Kingdom, which was scheduled to occur later this week.
According to local media, Hooper opted to swim in the rocky and chilly water near Punta Secca, but she rapidly became ill.
The woman died after a 62-year-old British man died on the Greek island of Crete while on vacation with his wife.
The man, who has not been identified, walked toward the water but became ill and returned to his sunbed on the beach of Stalida, next to his wife.
But as he lay on the sunbed, he passed away.
Local media indicate that an ambulance was called and the man was pronounced dead at the site. It is believed that an autopsy will disclose the cause of death.
On October 5, the body of a 74-year-old British woman who drowned while on vacation in Crete was discovered on a beach on the Greek island.
Rescuers performed CPR on the woman for thirty minutes, but she did not respond. She was taken to General Hospital St. George but was confirmed dead upon arrival.
A 45-year-old British lady died last month after feeling ill while swimming in the sea in Albufeira, Portugal.
The woman fainted on the beach, and despite the efforts of medical personnel to revive her, she died there.