A retired Royal Navy officer died while scuba-diving in Indonesia with his wife after 'panicking' underwater and suffering a rare swimming-induced condition, an inquest heard.
Robert Bolton, who became a successful barrister after a career in the Navy, was on a dream Indonesian cruise with wife Michelle when he tragically died in a diving accident.
The 65-year-old was an experienced diver since he was a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy days but got into difficulty underwater while exploring a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Mrs Bolton said her husband had 'panic in his eyes' and quickly ascended to the surface, where he suffered seizures and was rushed to hospital by speedboat.
Mr Bolton, who set up his own financial advise company, had suffered immersion pulmonary oedema, a swimming-induced condition where fluid leaks from blood vessels into the lungs.
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The risk of an oedema is 13 times higher for those over 60, it was heard at Mr Bolton's inquest at Winchester Coroner's Court.
The inquest was told in September 2023 Mr and Mrs Bolton, who live in a £1 million home in Bishop's Waltham, Hants, were on a cruise in Indonesia.
Both keen divers, the couple were on a diving cruise in the Komodo National Park and had just begun to explore the Crystal Rock site, named for its clear water, when Mr Bolton got into difficulty.
Mr Bolton had not been in the water long when he realised something was wrong.
He ascended to the surface with their guide and was given treatment on board a boat, during which he became unconscious, before being taken to a hospital and eventually medically evacuated to a private facility in Singapore.
He never regained consciousness and passed away at the Mount Elizabeth Hospital on September 23, 2023.
Recording an accidental death, Area Coroner Jason Pegg explained that Mr Bolton was an experienced diver and had quickly realised something was wrong.
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Mrs Bolton remembered her husband as 'extremely intelligent' and 'driven' having set up his own company after a successful career as a criminal barrister.
Reading her statement, Mr Pegg said: "She describes her husband as being fit and strong, he played a number of sports.
"He was extremely intelligent and driven.
Mr Pegg continued: "Mrs Bolton describes that 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."
In a tribute at the time his son, Richard, said he would be 'sorely missed' and had achieved 'great success' throughout his life.
He 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."
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