A woman found dead at a Cornish beach has been identified as a grief campaigner who lost her son at the same location six years earlier. Charmaine Lyn George, 52, was discovered on the shoreline off Lighthouse Hill at Portreath beach after being spotted by a member of the public on October 5.
Emergency services, including Devon and Cornwall Police, HM Coastguard rescue teams from Portreath and St Agnes, a crew from St Agnes RNLI lifeboat and paramedics, attended the scene where Charmaine's body was recovered. Police confirmed that her next of kin had been notified and stated her death was not being treated as suspicious, Cornwall Live reports.
Inquest opened and adjourned
Her identity was formally revealed at the opening of an inquest into her death, which was adjourned by assistant coroner for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Guy Davies, pending determination of the legal cause of death. The brief inquest hearing in Truro on Thursday (October 22) was told that officers attended the beach following a welfare concern raised by a member of the public.
Due to restricted beach access, police requested assistance from HM Coastguard. Charmaine was pronounced dead at the scene, her body was recovered and relatives were notified. Mr Davies confirmed that enquiries are continuing and the medical cause of death has yet to be established. He indicated a full inquest is expected to be held next year.
Legacy of grief advocacy
Charmaine, an Islington native from London, worked as a travel agent, but her true legacy lay in grief advocacy, earning her national recognition for charitable endeavours. Twelve months after the loss of her 18-year-old son Ewan, who was found beneath cliffs at Portreath in 2020, Charmaine established a grief café and subsequently partnered with the Good Grief Trust to launch new Good Grief Pop Up Cafes across Cornwall and further afield.
An inquest into Ewan's death determined that insufficient evidence existed to record a verdict of suicide. The following year, the Good Grief Trust received an invitation to The Sun's Who Cares Wins Awards, where Charmaine received The Caroline Flack Mental Health Hero Award for founding her café. After Charmaine's passing, the charity honoured the 52-year-old Pool resident, near Redruth.
Through a Facebook statement, the organisation expressed: "Charmaine had tragically experienced the death of her young son Ewan and was passionate to help others find vital support." The statement continued: "In 2021, we were extremely proud to be invited to The Sun's Who Cares Wins Awards where Charmaine won The Caroline Flack Mental Health Hero Award, for starting our Cafe. What a proud evening for Charmaine and for us all."
"She helped to improve access to vital support services with the launch of our Good Grief Pop Up Cafes in Cornwall, and helped many others find a way forward with their life, after losing someone they loved. We send her daughter Libby, and her family and friends, all our love and support at this incredibly difficult time."
