Elaine Richmond died on December 19, 2025, while diving in the Maldives
Elaine and Malcolm died within days of each other (Image: Stubbins & Hope Funeral Directors/Facebook)
A 70-year-old scuba diver drowned while on holiday in the Maldives just days before her husband suffered alcohol-induced organ failure, an inquest opening has heard.
Elaine Richmond, who visited the South Asian country “on many previous occasions” and was an experienced diver, died on the island of Ellaidhoo on December 19, 2025, after she was pulled away by a strong current in the sea.
Her husband, 71-year-old retired miner Malcolm Richmond, died on Christmas Eve in a hospital in the Maldives capital Male after his health deteriorated while he was waiting at the airport for a flight home two days after his wife’s death.
An inquest was opened into the deaths of the couple, who lived in Inkersall, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, at Chesterfield Coroner’s Court on Friday.
A British couple didn’t return home from their holiday to the Maldives last December(Image: David Britton International)
Speaking about Mrs Richmond’s death, assistant coroner Matthew Kewley said: “Based on what is known at the moment from a report provided by the Maldives police authorities, on December 19 hospital staff notified the police that Mrs Richmond had been brought to hospital from a resort in Ellaidhoo following a scuba diving incident.
“That report suggested that Elaine Richmond and her husband were professional divers. I think they mean experienced divers, it’s not suggested they were working as divers. It is understood they visited the Maldives on many previous occasions.”
He added: “On this particular day they had carried out a dive when the sea conditions deteriorated which unfortunately led to Mrs Richmond being pulled away in a strong current. Her husband immediately raised the alarm and sought assistance and a search was commenced but sadly the body of Mrs Richmond was then recovered from the water.”
The cause of death for Mrs Richmond, who the inquest heard was a currency handler, was given as drowning and asphyxiation by the hospital in the Maldives.
Opening the inquest into her husband’s death, Mr Kewley said: “The known circumstances of his death are these – on December 24 2025, hospital staff in the Maldives called the Maldives police department to say a British national had passed away.
“It’s understood that Mr Richmond had been admitted to hospital on December 21 after his health had deteriorated whilst he was at the airport waiting to leave the Maldives. It was reported that he was heavily intoxicated at the airport.”
His cause of death was given as acute alcohol intoxication, multi-organ dysfunction and cardiac arrest.
Both of their deaths were reported to the coroner on January 6 after the couple’s bodies were repatriated to the UK. The coroner said a full inquest will take place at a later date when more inquiries have been made with the authorities in the Maldives.