By Ted Davenport

A retired Cornish headteacher with a passion for sea swimming died after cooling off on a hot summer's day.

The heartbroken family of Julie Beach wondered if she had suddenly got into trouble after being stung by jellyfish.

But a swimmer who went to her aid said she did not see any jellyfish in the sea at that time.

Julie was a fit and healthy woman who ran regularly and swam in the same spot in Cornwall several times a week.

But one early evening last August the 59-year-old was heard 'calling weakly for help' between 50-75 metres from the beach and cliffs at Porthcurnick beach at Portscatho on the Roseland peninsula.

Christine Boon was walking along the coastal path with her husband when a witness heard Julie's cry for help.

She ran down steps to the beach and swam out to the stricken lady who had been doing breaststroke - reaching her in five minutes from the original alert.

A male stranger also swam to her and 'towed' her back to the beach where she was given CPR by off-duty health workers - but despite their efforts and those of emergency crews, she died at the scene.

The inquest at Cornwall coroner's court heard that she may have suffered a heart attack while swimming in the sea which was not cold as it had been a hot day.

Julie's husband Simon said his wife was a good swimmer who had gone in to 'cool off' and there were no great currents in the sea there.

He said she went to the same location each time for a 30-minute swim with an orange buoy attached to her waist as she swam 'with her head out of the water like a swan'.

He said his wife volunteered for the Samaritans and said she was 'full of energy, determination and drive'.

The mother-of-two had retired early after a career as a teacher and head at St Petroc's C of E Primary School, in Bodmin and St Martin's C of E School in Liskeard.

A post-mortem revealed that Julie, from Truro, died from drowning.

The assistant coroner Guy Davies recorded a narrative conclusion saying Julie died from drowning while swimming following a coronary event.

He praised the 'valiant efforts' of those who swam to her aid and the 'gallant efforts' of off-duty healthcare workers who tried to revive her on the beach.