A FORMER teacher from Crediton drowned during a holiday in Spain as he swum on a beach where other bathers had been stung by jellyfish.

Former PE teacher at Queen Elizabeth’s School in Crediton, Richard Bache, had been swimming in the sea off the southern coast of Spain when he drowned.

The 62-year-old, from Crediton, had asked a British family to keep an eye on his rucksack and belongings when he went into the water for a swim one day last October. 

Paul Hellier was with his family and his own daughter had been stung by a jellyfish in the water and they warned other swimmers on the quiet beach about them.

They kept an eye on Richard’s things as he swam.

Paul said Richard was wearing goggles and thought he might have been looking at the jellyfish underwater as he swam 15 to 20 metres from the shoreline.

He said Richard had been swimming for around 10 minutes but then noticed his head was under the water for a long time and he was face down and not moving.

He swam to him and dragged him out of the sea and spent 20 minutes giving him CPR but to no avail.

An inquest at Exeter’s County Hall heard that Richard suffered with epilepsy but there was no evidence he had suffered a seizure in the water.

The Spanish post mortem cause of death was asphyxia due to submersion, or drowning.

He had gone to Spain on holiday to look for properties to rent.

Senior Devon coroner Philip Spinney praised Mr Hellier for his actions and for contacting the dead man’s family after they said the “Spanish police did not contact us”.

Mr Bache played cricket for Sandford and rugby for Crediton.

Conclusion recorded was Accidental death.

Court Reporter