- Rosemary Wickstead and family, from London, were visiting Isle of Harris
- Got into difficulty swimming at Traigh Mhor beach on Monday evening
- Work colleague at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine described her as a ‘marvellous woman’
By NICK ENOCH
Rosemary Wickstead drowned in front of her husband while saving one of their three sons off the coast of the Outer Hebrides
This is the first picture of research scientist Rosemary Wickstead, who drowned in front of her husband while saving one of their three sons after he got into difficulty while swimming off the coast of the Outer Hebrides.
Doctor’s wife Mrs Wickstead, 45, from Herne Hill, south London, was at a beach on the Isle of Harris on Monday evening when the family got into trouble. Both she and her husband, David, had jumped in to save one of the boys.
It is not known which of the three – Luke, 12; Samuel, nine; and Joseph, three – were rescued. Mr Wickstead tried to resuscitate his wife before the emergency services arrived. A nearby resident called Stornoway Coastguard at around 7.40pm and a rescue team was sent to help. By the time they arrived, Mrs Wickstead had been recovered to Traigh Mhor beach but was unconscious.
She was flown by air ambulance 40 miles to the Western Isles hospital in Stornoway where she died. Today, tributes poured in from friends and colleagues. Professor Hazell Dockrell, who worked with Mrs Wickstead at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told the Evening Standard: ‘She was a marvellous woman. She did a masters and PhD with us and she was a great scientist. ’She was a very special person and touched the lives of a lot of people. It is the most dreadful thing to have happened.’
Meanwhile, Patricia Gorak-Stolinska, who had worked with Mrs Wickstead on a research project, told the Standard: ‘That [trying to save her child from drowning] is completely in her character.
‘She was a very gifted musician, a fantastic person. She was really one of life’s special individuals, incredibly wise, a great communicator and we will miss her terribly.’
It is believed that Mrs Wickstead – who also played violin in her local Lambeth Orchestra – and her family had rented a nearby cottage. The conductor, Christopher Fifield, called her a ‘truly lovely woman’ and a ‘highly valued’ member of the orchestra. Mr Wickstead, a GP at The Corner Surgery in south London, and two of his sons were taken to hospital in an ambulance as a precaution but they had not suffered serious injuries.
On his surgery biography, Dr Wickstead said he had recently reduced his working hours because it was ‘important to my health and family’. It also added that he had previously worked for the aid charity Medecins Sans Frontieres in Ethiopia and Afghanistan.
Her vicar said Mrs Wickstead will be missed by ‘hundreds of people’ in her parish. Speaking from St Paul’s Church in Herne Hill on Wednesday, Reverend Cameron Barker said she had been a member of his congregation for more than 15 years and was ‘a lovely person’.
He said: ‘She was a lovely lady. She was a member of St Paul’s for more than 15 years and her children were all baptised here.
Doctor’s wife Mrs Wickstead, from Herne Hill, south London, was at a beach on the Isle of Harris with her husband, David, on Monday evening when the family got into trouble
.
They were regular attendees and Rosemary helped run one of our children’s church groups on Sunday mornings. She had concerns for trade justice and international concerns.’
He added: ‘Hundreds of people will be devastated. She really was a lovely person and very involved in the church and our activities. She was also very involved at the school as well – her oldest son is at secondary school now, but the younger two are at the same primary school that he went to, St Jude’s Church Primary School.
‘I have been here over 10 years and I have never hear anybody say an even vaguely cross word about Rosemary. She was just lovely and will be hugely, hugely, missed.’
One local resident told The Herald newspaper: ‘There were a lot of people around including coastguard volunteers. This is the first time I think I can remember a drowning on that beach.’
Waters near to the picturesque Traigh Mhor are known to have strong currents and rip tides. Carol Collins, from Stornoway Coastguard, said although the western coast is popular with tourists, they must seek take safety precautions before visiting. ’All the beaches on the western coast are popular destinations, they attract people because they are beautiful spots,’ she said. ‘But there are no life guards or flag systems in place.’
A Police Scotland spokesman said: ‘At approximately 8.05pm police received a report from HM Coastguard in relation to a maritime incident at Borve beach on the Isle of Harris. A woman was flown to the Western Isles Hospital where she sadly died.’
A report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.
The news will come as an embarrassment to the police force
Hebrides Weather
