A woman who was pulled from the sea off Ryde in March 2023 died after suffering a cardiac arrest, with alcohol intoxication a contributing factor, an inquest has concluded.
50-year-old Lisa Hayes was found floating in the sea around 50 metres from the shoreline at Appley on the evening of 15th March 2023.
Emergency services, including the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, Ryde Inshore Rescue, Bembridge Coastguard Rescue Team and Police, responded to the scene shortly before 18:30, as previously reported by Island Echo.
CPR was carried out before Ms Hayes was transferred to St Mary’s Hospital in Newport by the Isle of Wight Ambulance Service.
Sadly, despite the best efforts of medical staff, she was pronounced dead at 21:23 the same evening.
Ms Hayes, who worked as a cleaner and lived at Birch Gardens in Binstead, was intoxicated at the time of the incident, according to evidence presented to His Majesty’s Coroner for the Isle of Wight, Caroline Sumeray, who has held a Section 9C (in writing) inquest touching on the death.
Senior Coroner Caroline Sumeray confirmed the cause of death as cardiac arrest due to immersion in seawater with alcohol intoxication. The inquest recorded an open conclusion, neither ruling the death to be accidental nor suicide, although it is understood her bag was ‘weighed down’.
The formal investigation into Ms Hayes’ death opened on 25th July 2023 and concluded on 23rd October 2025.
Ms Hayes was born in Caerphilly, Wales, in August 1972.
Shameful it has taken over two years to provide this inquest conclusion. Meanwhile the family (if any) have to live with waiting on a daily basis for this official answer.
It is outrageous. But still we haveno explanation concerning what is being done to improve the appalling record of this coroner