Brit windsurfer’s body was found washed 600 km away in Sweden after he drowned – World News
Vanessa Bamfield, Mr Bamfield’s troubled wife, reported him missing at 5.17pm the same day when it got dark and he had failed to return home.
Photo: HM Coastguard)
The body of an experienced British windsurfer who was reported missing after going out on his board in 40 mph winds has been found washed up 600 miles away in Sweden.
An investigation was heard on Monday into how Chris Bamfield, 65, was last seen on his board on November 14 last year in Hunstanton, Norfolk.
Vanessa Bamfield, his troubled wife, reported him missing at 5.17pm the same day when it got dark and he had failed to return to their home in Middleton, near King’s Lynn.
Norfolk forensic pathologist in Norwich heard how an extensive search was launched for Mr Biamfield with six search and rescue teams, lifeboats and two fixed-wing aircraft.
On the morning of November 16, the search, which covered the entire area of The Wash, was suspended when it was assumed that he had lost his way at sea.
His windsurfing board with associated red and white sails was later found in the North Sea, about 220 km off the coast of Norfolk.
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Picture:
Norfolk Police)
It was not until April 6 this year that his body was washed up on Stora Korno beach in Bohuslän.
Norfolk police were told by Interpol two weeks later, on April 20, that a body that matched Mr Bamfield’s description had been found.
The investigation heard that DNA tests confirmed that the remains were those of Mr Bamfield, who had recently retired as CEO of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council.
An autopsy performed in Sweden stated his main cause of death as drowning, but found that he also had circulatory problems.
Reports from Mr Bamfield’s GP confirmed that he had been diagnosed with high cholesterol, but had refused statin medication because he wanted to treat himself through diet and exercise.
The Norfolk Council’s forensic doctor Yvonne Blake registered a conclusion about unintentional death due to drowning during windsurfing. She said water found in Mr Banfield’s lungs had confirmed he had drowned.
Blake said that although Banfeld had some high cholesterol, she did not understand that it was in “heart attack territory”.
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Picture:
HM Coastguard)
She added: “He would go out and do something he liked. He had done it for many years and had all the right equipment.
“It seems to me that a fairly large search was initiated and some time later he was found in Sweden and identified by his DNA profile.”
When she spoke to Bamfield’s widow and daughter who was at the hearing, Blake expressed sadness that it had taken almost five months for his body to be found.
She said: “I’m sorry for the loss and all the uncertainty. It’s getting worse.”
Mr Bamfield’s daughter Ashton said her father had windsurfed at lunchtime, meaning he had plenty of daylight left.
She said: “I do not want anyone to think he was extremely ruthless, because he was not ruthless at all.”
In a statement read to the inquiry, Miss Bamfield described her father as a “devoted” husband and father who was “full of care and love for family and friends” and a proud official for 29 years.
She added that he had been looking forward to his retirement and that he had “recently revived” his love of windsurfing. He also had plans to travel the world with his wife and spend time with his family, she said.
“He had a passion for sports. Golf and windsurfing were at the top of the list. He played golf most days and had played on courses all over the country and in Europe and America,” she said.
Miss Bamfield also noted that her father had struggled with back pain and fatigue in the weeks before his death, but he removed the family’s concerns about his health and said he was fine.
She continued: “The day he disappeared and those who followed were the worst days of our lives. The only consolation was knowing he was doing something he loved.”
Miss Bamfield also thanked everyone involved in the search for her father.
She added: “The shock and horror of knowing we would never see him again was indescribable. It’s a horrible thing not to have the opportunity to say goodbye to someone you appreciate so much.
“He was an absolutely amazing man, and we were so proud of him and everything he has accomplished in his life. Our lives will never be the same without him. We miss him terribly.”
Police Chief Ollie Newell at Norfolk Police said CCTV images had shown Mr Bamfield leaving his black BMW car near the Hunstanton Sailing Club and going to the beach with his board in his winter wetsuit.
He said Mr Bamfield had gone out in 40 mph southerly and southeasterly winds which he described as “difficult conditions”.
Two other windsurfers who knew him later saw him sailing near the shore on the afternoon of November 14, where he had difficulty making progress due to winds being disturbed by the coastline.
But they insisted he “did not fight as he should,” said Sgt Newell.
Public buildings lit red in King’s Lynn to honor Mr Bamfield on the day of his funeral in June this year. Council staff also observed a minute of silence for him.
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