Husband tells how holiday mudslide swept wife away

George Gaines was on a week's holiday on the island with his 53-year-old wife Pamela when tragedy struck in February, a coroner was told.

The devoted husband and wife from Garton on the Wolds, East Yorkshire, were travelling in a taxi with another British couple when their vehicle was hit by the mudslide following days of torrential rain.

Mr Gaines said their vehicle was initially struck by a 4x4 vehicle and a tree before it was engulfed by mud and rocks. He said the taxi driver - also killed in the tragedy - told the group to get out of the Mercedes taxi as it would be safer.

Mr Gaines was trying to lead his wife of 35 years to a patch of safe ground when he felt the wall of mud hit the back of his knees and knock him off his feet. He told the inquest how he frantically tried to grab hold of bushes as he was swept away.

"There was a lot of debris coming down, cars had been washed down the road. There was a lot of trees and rocks. But there was a dry area and I thought if we could get there we could assess the situation."

"I put my wife on the bank and then I was hit behind my knees. The whole bank was coming towards us, I got hit. I tried to stop myself by grabbing hold of bushes. I was going very quickly. I got out of the flow into a car park. I stuck my arm out to stop myself. I thought if I didn't stop I was going to die."

He managed to save himself by grabbing hold of a car - possibly the headlight or wheel arch - which was being swept down the road, the inquest in Hull heard. Local passers-by found him and he was taken to hospital suffering from cuts. Later, he was told that his wife's body had been found.

The other couple in the car, Roger and Gillian Wilson, were also rescued. The inquest heard Mr and Mrs Gaines were teenage sweethearts and had three sons. Mrs Gaines worked as a nursery supervisor and the couple enjoyed walking.

The group was being driven to a hotel near the capital Funchal when the tragedy struck. Torrential rain forced the taxi driver to try and make his way back up to the hotel they had just left. The flooding and mudslides caused destruction and fatalities, including a baby. Coroner Geoff Saul was told Mrs Gaines died as a result of drowning. He recorded a verdict of accidental death.