A CARMARTHENSHIRE woman, who loved life, travelling and walking, drowned during an estuary walk, an inquest heard today, Friday, September 24.

Coroner's officer, Malcolm Thompson, told the inquest that 63-year-old Susan Smith was last seen walking on a rocky outcrop on the beach between St Ishmaels and Ferryside, part of the river Towy estuary on February 27.

When she failed to return home, she was reported to the police as missing.

An extensive multi agency search involving police officers, the mountain rescue team, coastguards, the NPAS helicopter, fire and rescue teams and specialist dogs failed to find Mrs Smith.

Her body was discovered in an isolated cove near Solva on March 13, 2021, two weeks after she had been reported missing.

Carmarthenshire coroner, Paul Bennett, said that a post-mortem, carried out by Dr Petya Nedeva, gave the cause of death as drowning.

"There was no evidence that she had been injured or assaulted or anything of that matter," said Mr Bennett.

Coroner's officer, Mr Thompson, added that concerns that a life insurance policy had been taken out on Mrs Smith had been investigated and found to be unsubstantiated.

The inquest heard that Mrs Smith loved to travel and had moved to Spain after she retired from working at Morriston Hospital in 2016.

After the break down of her marriage she returned to Wales and lived in a holiday chalet at the St Ishmaels Holiday Park near Kidwelly.

Family members present at the inquest told said that Mrs Smith regularly walked the surrounding coastline, and she knew the tides and how dangerous they could be.

"It is difficult for me to be entirely clear how it was that Susan ended up in the water," said Mr Bennett.

"I am satisfied it was not deliberate on her part. Whether it was a question of her getting caught by the tide and falling, whether she ended up getting stuck in mud and the tide came in we do not know.

"My suspicion is that she got herself in difficulty, either by falling or slipping, so as not to be able to escape the tide."

Mr Bennet recorded a verdict of death by misadventure, saying:

"What befell Susan was unfortunately an accident, something over which she had no control over overwhelmed her and that sadly led to her death."

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