Police have confirmed that a former Exeter student has drowned after becoming trapped in a sea cave during a storm on November 2.
Charlotte Furness-Smith, known as “Buffy”, had been coasteering with her brother Alex, when she was swept into the Tilly Whim caves off the coast of Dorset.
Her brother, a year older than Ms Furness-Smith at 31, appeared to be struggling when he was spotted by a member of the public, who contacted the emergency services at around 3pm.
When the coastguard helicopter rescued the man, who was unhurt, he was able to inform the Swanage Coastguard on his sister’s situation.
Coastguards spoke to his sister, a maths teacher, who graduated from the University of Exeter with a degree in engineering, for two hours through a blow hole.
Two lifeboat crews attempted to approach the cave, battling 50 mph winds, and waves as high as 10ft. Unfortunately, by the time a coastguard officer was able to bravely crawl into the 15ft deep hole, the 30 year old had died.
The body was unable to be recovered due to rough weather conditions, and she had been classified by the police as a “missing person.”
Ms. Furness-Smith joined the Royal Navy reserves while studying at University of Exeter before volunteering in the second Gulf war five years ago. She was dubbed a ‘poster girl’ for the armed forces as a photo of her was used a ‘stock image’ by the Royal Navy.
She also volunteered with the Navy during the London Olympics 2012, carrying out body and bag searches at Greenwich Park. She had begun her new job as a maths teacher only two months ago at the Bristol Free School.
Ms. Furness-Smith’s godfather, Jon Coles, told the Express and Echo that “she was a dedicated and vivacious teacher who loved the outdoor life.”
The tragic incident occurred close to Durdle Door on the Dorset coast where less than three weeks ago, on October 23, Henry Maunder, 21, went missing while swimming in the sea with his two friends. His body was believed to have been found on Friday.
The Met Office have warned of more stormy weather heading towards southern England, and the public have been advised to check the forecast before venturing into the sea.
Sara De Anghelis, News Team
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