Grieving Chesterfield husband died of alcohol-induced heart attack after wife’s scuba diving death
A grieving Chesterfield husband died of an alcohol-induced heart attack five days after his wife was killed in a tragic scuba diving accident.
Malcolm Richmond, from Inkersall, was admitted to hospital on the Maldives capital of Male on December 21, 2025, having been taken ill at the airport while “heavily intoxicated”. He died three days later on Christmas Eve.
The former miner and his wife Elaine – both experienced divers – were on a diving holiday together on the Maldivian island of Ellaidhoo when on December 19 Elaine, 70, was carried away by a strong current.
Coroner Matthew Kewley, opening an inquest into the couple’s death today (Friday), described how the tragic events unfolded on December 19. He said: “On this particular day they had carried out a dive when the sea conditions deteriorated which unfortunately led to Mrs Richmond being pulled away in a strong current.
“Her husband immediately raised the alarm and sought assistance and a search was commenced but sadly the body of Mrs Richmond was then recovered from the water.”
Elaine was pronounced dead the same day. Maldives medics gave the cause of death as drowning and asphyxiation. Malcolm’s cause of death was given as heart attack and organ failure caused by acute alcohol intoxication.
Coroner Mr Kewley adjourned the couple’s full inquest pending further enquiries with Maldivian police and health authorities.