An inquest has heard that a father and daughter both drowned at a popular Cornish beach after he attempted to rescue her from the sea. John Peter Collins, 66, and Samantha Adele Collins, 32, were pulled from the water on July 26 at Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall.
Holiday tragedy unfolds
The pair, from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, had been on a family holiday in the seaside town when the incident occurred. At an inquest opening at Cornwall Coroner’s Court in Truro, assistant coroner Emma Hillson detailed the tragic sequence of events.
“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,” said Ms Hillson.
Bodies identified and post-mortems conducted
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, with the provisional cause of death for both given as drowning.
Given the circumstances, the coroner expressed suspicion that the deaths may have been unnatural. She adjourned the inquest, scheduling a provisional full hearing for July 19, 2027, at 10am, with a three-hour time estimate. This will be a joint inquest.
Emergency response and family appeal
Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed that officers were called to Fistral Beach at approximately 9.45pm on July 26. Both Mr Collins and his daughter had already been recovered from the water, and despite the efforts of emergency services, they were pronounced dead at the scene.
The hearing also revealed that Mr Collins was a retired technical engineer and married, while his daughter was single. In a separate appeal, police said Miss Collins is believed to have entered the water carrying an orange or peach handbag with a shoulder strap. The bag is thought to contain personal items of great sentimental value to her family.
“At what is an incredibly difficult time for the family, they would take great comfort in being reunited with these belongings if possible,” a police spokeswoman said. Anyone who finds a bag matching the description is asked to hand it into Newquay police station or contact police with incident number 50260197209.
