Family's tribute to loving Dunstable mum who died on dream holiday

The family of a Dunstable woman who drowned on the first day of a holiday in the Maldives have paid tribute to "a wonderful woman".

Loretta Randall, of Wellhead near Dunstable, died after getting into difficulties during a post lunch swim at the Safari Island resort on January 22.

The grandmother of four had been living with MS since she was 19, and swimming helped her manage her condition.

Daughter Chloe Lovell said: "She was a wonderful woman, all she ever wanted to do was to have children and she dedicated her life to my dad, brother Daniel and me.

"She was in a significant pain for the past four years but she found joy in everything.

"She loved to travel and the covid situation was awful for her. All she had talked about was getting out in the sun and getting a tan.

Husband Paul, who had been married to Loretta for 35 years, said: "MS is a terrible burden for anyone, she used to say she never got a day off. She was in such chronic pain but she didn't let it take over, she kept fighting.

"It was our first big holiday since lockdown and she was desperate to get back to a place we had been to 10 years ago.

""We had such a lovely last day, a beautiful lunch in a beautiful location."

An inquest at Ampthill on Thursday heard that Loretta, aged 60, had gone for a swim while Paul had a lie down after lunch, He was alerted that his wife was in difficulties by the woman in the next water villa, whose husband had gone into the sea to help rescue Loretta.

She was brought to the villa by guests at the resort but although he tried CPR there was no response.

"She had been going swimming about twice a week," Paul told the inquest. "She was getting confident with her swimming, that's why I think she went without me."

Assistant coroner Tom Stoate recorded a verdict of accidental death.