UPDATE: |Horror as Brit dies in Tenerife after going for swim in sea with teenage son News

Stephen Howd tragically died in Tenerife

A British man drowned while swimming in the sea off in Tenerife after sea conditions deteriorated despite the “valiant efforts” of his teenage son to save him, an inquest has heard.

Stephen Howd, a barrister from Farnham, Surrey, had been visiting his holiday home in the Canary Islands with son William in April 2023 when the pair decided to go swimming at Punta de Teno, a remote coastal part of Tenerife.

The Winchester inquest heard that the 57-year-old, who was a “strong swimmer”, often went to the rocky outcrop to jump into the sea – but father and son got into difficulties when the sea conditions rapidly worsened.

Coroner Jason Pegg said: “Stephen and his son William jumped in and were enjoying themselves until the sea conditions changed dramatically, the sea became rough and the currents in the water became difficult to swim against.

“Both were unable to get back to the jump-off point which by that point was submerged.”

Mr Pegg said that other people on the shore helped to make a makeshift rope from clothing which William, who was 16 at the time, managed to grab hold of and was pulled back ashore.

He continued: “Tragically his father was not able to do so and it appears whilst trying to do so, the force of the water threw Stephen against the rocks causing Stephen to sustain a head injury.

“From the shore, William saw his father slowing down and swimming but not getting any closer to where he wanted to be.

“William then jumped back into the sea and swam out to his father. When William reached his father he described his father as being slumped over and face down in the water.

“He turned his father over and managed to swim back to the rocks with his father and saw his father’s face and in William’s view, he had passed away.”

The coroner said that William was unable to get his father ashore and Mr Howd was swept out to sea again until rescuers arrived and were able to retrieve him and, despite attempts to resuscitate him, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mr Pegg praised the actions of William, now aged 18, and said: “I give my condolences to William who was present during this dreadful incident and, in my view, it was a very valiant and brave attempt by him.”

The hearing was told that a post-mortem examination found that Mr Howd as a result of drowning. The coroner recorded a conclusion of misadventure for Mr Howd whom the inquest heard had studied physics at Oxford before completing a bar conversion and then being awarded a Queen Mother scholarship to complete his barrister training.