Former Royal Navy officer, 65, dies in scuba diving accident in front of wife with 'panic in his eyes' while on dream Indonesian cruise

Robert Bolton, 65, was on a dream Indonesian cruise with wife Michelle when they joined a diving trip exploring Komodo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. However, while underwater, Mr Bolton got into difficulty and his wife told an inquest that he had “panic in his eyes”.

The 65-year-old ascended to the surface, where he suffered seizures and was rushed to hospital by speedboat. Winchester Coroner's Court heard Mr Bolton suffered an immersion pulmonary oedema, a swimming-induced condition where fluid leaks from blood vessels into the lungs.

Reading a statement by Mrs Bolton, Area Coroner Jason Pegg said: “Mrs Bolton describes her husband had panic in his eyes, he was scared, breathing heavily and holding his chest. When she came up, she was picked up by another speedboat and taken to where her husband was being worked on.

"They had a fast and bumpy ride to the mainland, her husband continued to have seizures, it took an hour to get to the hospital on the mainland. There came a time when Mr Bolton was evacuated to Singapore and admitted to hospital.

“She describes her husband as being fit and strong, he played a number of sports. He had served in the Royal Navy, he had then become a barrister in London before setting up a financial advice company. He was extremely intelligent and driven."

He never regained consciousness and passed away at the Mount Elizabeth Hospital on September 23 2023. In a statement for the inquest, Dr Peter Wilmshurst, an expert in oedemas and an experienced diver, said the risk of an oedema was 13 times higher in those over 60.

Recording an accidental death, Mr Pegg explained Mr Bolton was an experienced diver and had quickly realised something was wrong. He said: "Mr Bolton, together with his wife, was on holiday in Indonesia in September 2023. Mr Bolton was a diver, he had been diving for many years, since his service in the Royal Navy, Mrs Bolton was also a qualified diver but less experienced.”

In a tribute at the time his son Richard said: “He will be sorely missed by many for the exemplary decorum and integrity he displayed throughout his life and dealings with others. He really proved to those he interacted with that you can be a generous and honourable businessman across industries and still achieve great success from humble beginnings."