A woman drowned saving a baby's life when their canoe sank in a fast-flowing rainforest river.

Sharron Poulton, 38, and the one-year-old native child were among 13 people in a 20ft dug-out which became caught in a whirlpool on the Rio Napo in Ecuador.

The craft tipped over, spilling the group into the turbulent water, an inquest in Lewes heard yesterday.

Witnesses told how the last time they saw Mrs Poulton, of Enys Road, Eastbourne, she was battling to hold the baby's head above the raging torrent.

Her body was found a day-and-a-half later, 20 miles downstream.

Mrs Poulton was taking part in a fund-raising trip organised by Salisbury-based Discover Adventure in October last year.

The accident happened the day after the arrival of the 66-strong party who were raising money for Macmillan Cancer Relief.

They began with a walk through the rainforest and planned to spend the night in a hotel before embarking on a cycling tour to the Andes.

In the late afternoon, the group set out in seven canoes heading for the hotel's lodge.

However, Mrs Poulton's craft got into trouble and all the occupants were tipped into the water.

David Milner, from Kent, was sitting behind her in the canoe.

He told the inquest: "I remember she said, 'Oh my God, we're going to sink'.

"Perhaps Sharron just wasn't strong enough, especially as she had spent her time trying to get the baby to safety."

Mr Milner said he thought he too would drown and described how the current sucked him metres under water before he managed to fight his way to the surface.

Trip leader Jonathan Bryan said he had made the journey before during a reconnaissance trip in 2000 while organising the itinerary.

He told the inquest that boatmen took guests to and from the lodge in the boats contracted by the hotel.

On the day of the incident, he was in one of the other canoes and was alerted when somebody noticed people in the water.

He said: "Boat three was being swamped with water.

"They were pulled into the water and started being moved and tossed about.

"The lodge staff threw in large rubber rings and one of the dugouts came to fish people out of the water.

"They either came ashore by canoe, rubber ring or were pulled out.

"We were probably 15 metres away from Sharronand a number of others and we formed a human chain.

"I remember seeing Sharron holding a small baby in her arms as she was being moved about by water, very calm. She was very close to us but unfortunately out of reach.

"I looked to my left and looked back and she was no longer there. Then there was an Ecuador man and he appeared at our feet holding the baby up above him.

"Sharron got drawn under water by one of the whirlpools. The father and the baby were spat out and Sharron was not."

After a roll call confirmed there was one person missing from the group, emergency services were alerted and searches made.

Mrs Poulter's body was found partially-clothed and without the life-jacket she had been wearing.

Paul Rossi, of London-based Macmillan Cancer Relief, told the court it was the first time the charity had taken part in a challenge in Ecuador.

He said: "We have found that participants in these events want to go to more and more exotic places.

"Ecuador was chosen because it was an exotic location and, of all South American countries, it is regarded as relatively safe."

Mrs Poulton's mother, Patricia Rodwell, of Beacon Road, Seaford, attended the inquest with her daughter, Anita.

She paid tribute to her "clever and artistic" daughter.

She said: "She saved the baby's life by handing her over along a human chain. She was a very strong swimmer - this was what was so puzzling about it."

Coroner Alan Craze recorded a verdict of accidental death.