Elaine Richmond, 70, died on December 19 while swimming off the remote Indian Ocean island of Ellaidhoo. Her husband Malcolm, 71, died in hospital days later.
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The devastated husband of a British holidaymaker ‘drank himself to death’ after his wife drowned during a scuba diving trip in the Maldives.
Malcolm Richmond from Chesterfield, Derbyshire, died five days after his wife Elaine, 70, was pulled into a “strong current” during an excursion to the Asian archipelago on December 19.
The accident which claimed the life of his wife took place off the island resort of Ellaidhoo, with Chesterfield Coroner’s Court hearing that Elaine was an experienced diver.
A coroners inquest heard how Mr Richmond fell ill at Male airport on 21 December – two days after the death of his wife, with his condition continuing to deteriorate as he awaited his flight back to the UK.
Mr Richmond, who is said to have been drinking alcohol at the time and suffered a cardiac arrest, before later dying in hospital in Male on December 24.
His cause of death was given as acute alcohol intoxication which led to a cardiac arrest.
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Coroner Matthew Kewley said: “The 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.
“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.”
The couple were experienced scuba divers.
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“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 hospital in the Maldives had given the cause of death as drowning and asphyxiation.”
A spokesman for Stubbs and Hope funeral directors, near their Chesterfield home, announced their deaths. They said that Ms Richmond died on Dec 19 and her husband died in hospital three days later. There are no suspicious circumstances.
They are believed to have had an “accident” while scuba diving in the sea. Photographs posted by the couple on social media demonstrate that they were experienced scuba divers.
The couple did not have any children but that their next of kin, a niece living near Manchester, has been informed.
An inquest will be heard at Chesterfield Coroner’s Court on January 30.
A post on the funeral director’s website said: “Elaine and Malcolm Richmond of Inkersall have tragically passed away just days apart at Christmas.
“All who knew them are welcome to attend (the funeral) and celebrate their lives.
“Any donations received will be given to Ashgate Hospice.”
A tribute post on a Facebook group called Maldives Holidaymakers said: “With deepest regret and sadness, we would like to inform you that two of our dearest members of the Ellaidhoo group Elaine and Malcom Richmond sadly passed away whilst on the Maldives over the Christmas holiday period.
“They were members of Maldives Holidaymakers and they were known to a lot of members but they regularly visited Ellaidhoo.
“Elaine and Malcolm visited Ellaidhoo over 60 times, three times in 2025, and in addition had been going to the island for the last 17 years at Christmas.
“They will be sadly missed by family and the many friends that they made over their many visits.
“They were very popular with all the staff they had made friends with and will be sorely missed.”
The couple had visited the resort 60 times over the past 17 years.