A 36-year-old mother on a family snorkeling excursion in the Bahamas recently died while trying to save her two sons from a strong current, authorities said.
The victim was identified as Leanne Gregory, 36, of Nottinghamshire, England, according to The Telegraph.
The drowning, which took place on North Bimini Island, was announced by Bahamian authorities last Tuesday.
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The Royal Bahamas Police Force said that around 10 a.m. Tuesday, officers at the Alice Town Police Station were alerted to an unresponsive woman at the North Bimini Ferry Dock.
The woman had been snorkeling with her husband and two sons when a “strong current” swept the children away, according to the statement.
“In an attempt to rescue her sons, the woman was also swept away,” police said in a statement.
“She was later rescued and transported to the ferry dock, where CPR was reportedly administered.”
Both children survived the incident, according to The Telegraph.
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By the time officers arrived, they were told the woman had been transported to a clinic and pronounced dead by a local doctor “despite efforts to save her life,” the report added.
Authorities added that foul play “is not suspected at this time.”
“An autopsy will be conducted to assist in determining the exact cause of death,” the report added.
In a Facebook tribute, Gregory’s husband, Nathan, called his wife of 22 years his “childhood sweetheart” and “soulmate,” according to the BBC.
The outlet reported that on a GoFundMe page, he said she held onto one of their sons until he was rescued, but she “didn’t have the energy to save herself.”
“My boys had to witness something nobody should ever have to see of any age, but they know [their mom] died an absolute hero,” Nathan Gregory said.
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In an interview with The Telegraph, Gregory’s mother-in-law, Kim Jones, said her son had tried to give Gregory the “kiss of life” in an effort to revive her.
“It is devastating,” said Jones. “They can both swim, they’re good swimmers, but the current was too strong.”
Jones added, “They were in difficulty, and she went out to rescue them. But the waters were too rough and choppy for her.”
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Gregory had reportedly loved traveling to Florida and the Caribbean, Jones said, and had been on a two-week vacation at the time of the drowning.
Gregory’s mother-in-law told The Telegraph the couple were school sweethearts who had been together for over 20 years.
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“She was the best mom in the world, just brilliant — a lovely woman who would do anything for anyone,” said Jones. “It’s all such a shock … I cannot imagine how my son will be feeling.”
Gregory’s death is among several recent vacation tragedies.
In August, a Minnesota pastor died after suffering a severe spinal cord injury when he fell into a pool aboard a cruise ship in Italy while celebrating his son’s wedding.
Earlier in October, a Brazilian university official was killed by falling roofing material while touring a historic Frank Lloyd Wright landmark in Arizona.
