Death of BBC journalist who drowned on holiday in Laos was accidental

A British woman died in a riverboat accident while on holiday in Laos, an inquest has heard.

Johanna Powell, a BBC Wales picture editor, was celebrating a friend's 40th birthday in the south-east Asian country and was with three friends on the Mekong River boat ride when their vessel sank.

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According to the BBC, the 37-year-old from Cardiff was most likely asleep when the boat hit rough water.

Her death was ruled accidental at Aberdare inquest.

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In a statement read to the court, her friend Tammy Evans said: "Johanna was half asleep with her head on the table when the boat suddenly rocked to one side and then the other.

"I was thrown from my seat and went down with the boat. I was trapped and fully submerged under the filthy and dirty water.

"I reached out and managed to grab a piece of the boat to free myself and then reached the surface.

"As I was being dragged along the river I was screaming 'where's Johanna?'"

Johanna was on a three-week holiday to celebrate Evans' birthday. The pair, who were with another two friends, travelled to Northern Thailand and crossed the border to Laos for the two-day boat cruise, the Guardian reports.

Senior coroner Andrew Barkley said that the accident "happened very quickly" and "there was nothing that could be done."