Grandmother drowned in sea 'rescuing pet dog'

It is thought Toni Robinson was trying to rescue her Jack Russell dog Sweep when she drowned

A grandmother who drowned in a choppy sea off Anglesey may have been trying to save her pet dog, an inquest heard.

Toni Robinson, 65, from Northampton, had been on a break with her husband in Moelfre when she was found in the sea by an angler last October.

A lifeboat was at the scene within minutes and Mrs Robinson was given CPR, but she was pronounced dead on arrival at a Bangor hospital.

Coroner Dewi Pritchard Jones recorded a conclusion of accidental death.

The inquest in Caernarfon heard evidence from one of the lifeboat men there was a swell of up to 3m (10ft), with waves breaking over the rocks.

He said if someone had fallen in the sea it would not be easy to get out.

Pathologist Dr Mark Lord said Mrs Robinson, who had recently retired after running an award-winning restaurant and pub for 22 years, died from drowning.

He said he believed injuries to her hands and fingernails could have arisen when she tried to get out of the water against the rocks.

The coroner said: "My guess - you can't put it any stronger - based on weak evidence, is that the dog probably fell into the sea and she tried to recover it and fell in herself.

"She tried to get out but failed because of the rocky nature of the coastline and she drowned."