British woman dies trying to save her sons, swept away while snorkelling in the Bahamas

A 36-year-old British woman died in the Bahamas after she was swept away while trying to rescue her two sons, who had been carried off by a strong current during a snorkelling trip, the Guardian reported. The Royal Bahamas Police Force, the country's national police service, has launched an investigation into her death, which took place on Tuesday.

The family was on holiday in the Bahamas, and the woman was snorkelling with her husband and sons near the southern point of North Bimini, an island in the archipelago. When the current swept both children away, the woman was also carried off while going to their aid. People and the New York Post both reported that the outing took place during a stop by a cruise ship.

The two children were later rescued from the water. Shortly after 10am, officers at the Alice Town police station received word that a woman was unresponsive at the North Bimini ferry dock. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, a method of chest compressions and breaths used to restart breathing and circulation, was given to her on the dock after she was brought out of the water.

She was taken to a local clinic, where a local doctor pronounced her dead despite efforts to save her life. The police said foul play is not suspected at this time. An autopsy will be carried out to help determine the exact cause of death.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the British government department that handles foreign affairs and support for British citizens abroad, said it is in contact with local authorities and is providing support to the woman's family.