The family of a T&T-born woman who drowned last year after being trapped in a sea cave in south England, are calling for a second coroner's inquest into her death.The family of Charlotte 'Buffy' Furness-Smith, a Maths teacher from Bristol, made the appeal on Wednesday, after a corner in Bournemouth, England, ruled her death was as a result of a misadventure.
According to a report in the British daily newspaper, The Telegraph, the Furness-Smith's family described the inquest as "a total sham" because it failed to examine an almost two-hour delay in a rescue operation to save her.In a interview with the newspaper, Furness-Smith's mother Patricia said her family was considering their legal options in pursuing a second inquest.
She said: "We have lost our wonderful daughter and we would like to have some peace and quiet to actually grieve for her. But equally we owe it to her to actually get to the truth of how her last hours panned out. It is imperative that no other family ever suffers what we have gone through."Furness-Smith, 30, was the only granddaughter of Trinidad attorney and former independent senator Gerald Furness-Smith, 91, and his wife Joan. She and her family moved to the United Kingdom when she was eight.
She joined the Royal Navy Reserves while studying engineering at Exeter University and was part of the Navy's recruitment team. She then qualified as a Maths teacher.Despite the family's strong criticism of the delay of coast guard rescuers, corner Sheriff Payne, who presided over the inquest, commended the efforts of the officers and went as far as to recommend that one officer be awarded a national award for bravery.
Head of the coast guard unit involved in the failed rescue attempt, Mark Rodaway, testified in the inquest and said his officers did all within their power to rescue Furness-Smith."I am confident the coast guard helicopter crew, rescue teams and the lifeboat crews on scene that day made every effort while there was still a chance of a successful rescue outcome," Rodaway said.In his ruling in the inquest, Payne said the siblings had put themselves at risk because they failed to heed poor weather warnings issued that day.
"Alex confirmed they had not checked tides or anything like that. It was predictable that the weather was going to worsen," Payne said.During the inquest, Payne heard evidence from Furness-Smith's 31-year-old brother Alex, who was with her when the incident occurred.Alex testified that on November 2, last year, he and his sister went to the coast near Dorset, south England to go kite-surfing but changed their minds when they noticed there were strong winds that day.
Instead the siblings decided to do coasteering, an adventure sport involving tree climbing and swimming along rocky coastlines.The newspaper report stated when the siblings were climbing at the Tilly Whim caves near Swanage, they were swept into a cave by a huge swell caused by 60 mph winds."We looked to swim out of the cave but every time we saw an opportunity another big wave came crashing in. It appeared the only option was for one of us to swim outside to get help," Alex said.
Alex decided to swim out and was rescued by a coast guard helicopter, while a life boat unsuccessfully attempted to enter the cave through its narrowing opening. Almost two hours later, coast guard rescuer Ian Bugler, who Payne suggested the award be given, was lowered 15 ft into the cave through a blowhole, however by then Furness-Smith had already drowned.Alex's harrowing testimony detailed his sister's cries and screams for help before she eventually drowned. Her body was never recovered.