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Mother drowns on beach holiday swimming with her children as husband goes back to room

Lina Dilipkumar asked her partner to return her bag back to the room when tragedy struck (file photo)  (Google Maps)
Lina Dilipkumar asked her partner to return her bag back to the room when tragedy struck (file photo) (Google Maps)

A mother drowned while swimming with her daughters off a popular Mexican beach, an inquest heard.

Lina Dilipkumar, 38, asked her husband to take their beach bag back up to the hotel room while she swam with her daughters during a family holiday to Il Playa del Carmen, near Cancun.

But the mother-of-two, from Wembley, north west London, later drowned.

When husband Vishal Maugi turned back from the room he saw crowds gathering around on the beach trying to assist his family who had begun to struggle in the waves.

He discovered the people were surrounding his eldest daughter.

After realising his wife had not returned to shore he sent a lifeguard on a jet ski to find her, who eventually brought back her body.

A coroner ruled Ms Dilipkumar died on July 24 last year by “suffocation due to submersion”.

Her husband’s statement was the only one read by assistant coroner Dr Peter Straker at the North London Coroner’s Court hearing.

Mr Maugi and family members listened on video link as Dr Straker read the statement.

He said: “On July 24, 2022, the approximate time being between 10.30am and 11am, we were walking towards the beach in order to take some photographs. I went into the sea to swim with my daughters, and I left my wife with my camera.

“She handed the camera over with my beach bag so she could swim. She asked me to take the bag so I took it up to the room.”

A coroner ruled that the mother died on July 24 last year by ‘suffocation due to submersion' (file photo) (Google Maps)
A coroner ruled that the mother died on July 24 last year by ‘suffocation due to submersion' (file photo) (Google Maps)

On his return he saw people crowded around on the beach and that the waves had grown bigger.

“People had managed to hold onto my oldest daughter,” Mr Maugi said. “I approached the lifeguard and ordered him to help in search of my wife on his jet ski because nobody could find her.

“The lifeguard went out and found the body and placed it on the jet ski and brought it to the beach.

“When he got back he then tried to get the water from her body.”

Paramedics tried to help her and she was taken to a nearby clinic where doctors attended.

However, Mr Maugi said: “Half an hour later the doctor came out and informed me that my wife had not managed to survive.”

The husband thanked his large family for their constant support, and the Mexican and British governments. Ms Dilipkumar was the only sister in a family of five brothers.

The coroner ruled: “Lina Dilipkamura died as the result of suffocation caused by submersion on 24 July off the coast of Mexico.

“Lina Dilipkumar died as a result of an accident. I hope Lina’s daughters are well despite losing their mother.”