Former MP's wife drowned on holiday in France

Retired graphic designer Lynn Turner, 74, was in Montpellier with her husband when her body was found floating in the water on the afternoon of August 3.

Her husband, Des Turner, a scientist and former MP for Brighton Kemp Town, was watching his wife swim happily and waving at him just a couple of hours after they had lunch together.

But she suddenly appeared to be floating face-down in the water, an inquest in Brighton heard today.

Mr Turner, 81, said his wife was pulled quickly from the sea but was unconscious.

A medically trained passer-by began to resuscitate her.

Paramedics and a doctor on the beach attended to Mrs Turner and she was shortly airlifted to Lapeyronie Hospital in Montpellier where she died 12 hours later.

Mr Turner said she remained unconscious from the moment she came out of the water until she died.

Mrs Turner, a former governor of Queen’s Park Primary School and St Luke’s School in Brighton, was a healthy woman with a normal sized heart, the inquest heard.

But she was known to suffer from heart palpitations and was taking statins for her cholesterol levels, the court was told.

Mr Turner said he believed the temperature on the day his wife drowned was almost 40 degrees Celsius, which may have contributed to her death.

He said: “It was a very hot day.

“I believe the water was very warm as well as it would have heated up in the sun.

“I think she was dead the minute she came out of the water.”

Coroner Veronica Hamilton-Deeley said the cause of Mrs Turner’s death was fatal cardiac arrhythmia which led to her drowning.

She said: “Mrs Turner died as a result of an accident.

“I offer all my condolences on to the family. She was clearly a much loved woman.”

Mr Turner said his wife had been supportive of his political career and was devoted to her grandchildren.

He said: “She was a wonderful woman and was very much loved by everyone.

"She was a very lovely, bubbly, smiley and warm person.

"It was very sudden when she died.”