A father who lost his life trying to rescue his daughter after she was swept into the ocean has been named at an inquest. John Peter Collins, 66, and Samantha Adele Collins, 32, were recovered from the waters off Fistral Beach in Newquay on July 26.
Holiday tragedy
Cornwall Coroner's Court heard that the family, who had travelled from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, were enjoying a break in the coastal resort. Assistant coroner Emma Hillson said: "Samantha Collins was on holiday with her family in Newquay. She and her father were fishing on rocks when Samantha was dragged into the sea.
"John tried to save her, but very sadly was unable to so and they both lost their lives."
Identification and post-mortem
The hearing was told that Adele Collins, wife of Mr Collins and mother of Miss Collins, formally identified their bodies. Post-mortem examinations were carried out at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Treliske on July 29. The preliminary cause of death for both was recorded as drowning.
Coroner's remarks
"Given the reported circumstances of the death, and the provisional cause of death, I have reason to suspect the death may be as a result of an unnatural cause," the coroner said. "I am going to adjourn for a provisional full hearing date of July 19 2027 at 10am, with a time estimate of three hours. This will be a joint inquest."
The Truro hearing was told Mr Collins was married and a retired technical engineer, while his daughter was single.
Police response
Devon and Cornwall Police previously confirmed officers were summoned to Fistral Beach at approximately 9.45pm on July 26. Both Mr Collins and his daughter were pulled from the water. Despite the attendance of emergency services, the pair were sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
Appeal for belongings
Miss Collins is believed to have entered the water with a handbag, described as being orange or peach in colour, with a shoulder strap. A police spokeswoman had previously stated that it was "thought to contain a number of personal items of great sentimental value to her loved ones".
"At what is an incredibly difficult time for the family, they would take great comfort in being reunited with these belongings if possible," she added.
Anyone who discovers a bag matching this description is urged to hand it in at Newquay police station, or to get in touch with police quoting incident number 50260197209.
