British doctors drowned as they tried to save their children in Tenerife

Two British doctors drowned while trying to stop their children being swept out to sea on holiday in Tenerife, an inquest heard.

Dr Uma Ramalingam, 42, and GP Barathi Ravikumar, 40, died after being sucked into a whirlpool, the Daily Mirror reports.

The women grabbed their children as they were hit by freak waves but as they did all four slipped on wet rocks and were swept out by strong waves and currents.

According to the Daily Mail, the women were part of four families on holiday in Playa Paraiso. The two children they were trying to rescue were saved.

Dr Ravikumar's twin sister, Dr Poorami Chandrasekaran, said she saw her sister struggling in the water and remembered seeing the coastguards arrive.

She said: "It felt a very long time to me but I had no idea. Straight away I told him my sister was there. I couldn't understand what he was saying. The second diver came and joined the first one."

A verdict of accidental death was recorded and post mortem examinations confirmed that the doctors died from asphyxia from drowning.

The Daily Mail reports that coroner John Pollard said: "If death had occurred at a British resort I would be writing to the resort about warning signs. It was quite clearly a calm day, with nothing unusual. It was completely unexpected."

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