A VERDICT of accidental death was on Tuesday recorded on Michelle Wright, the young mother from Stoke Climsland killed canoeing on the River Tavy last November.

At an inquest in Okehampton, Coroner Richard Van Oppen said Michelle, 34, an experienced and well equipped canoeist, drowned when she was forced underwater by a fallen tree.

Her partner, Andrew Gray, in his statement, said she was a little ahead of the group and had turned her boat around to say she was okay after navigating a difficult section of the river. She drifted backwards onto a vertical branch of the fallen tree, capsized and was driven underwater by the river which was said to be flowing at more than 15 mph.

The rest of the canoeists were there very quickly and made several attempts to rescue her. Michelle's body was eventually recovered by the emergency services.

Mr Van Oppen described it as a 'most tragic accident'.

Michelle and Mr Gray had announced their engagement five months before and had a baby daughter, Jasmine, now just over a year old.