Brit granddad, 76, died snorkelling in Malta after being hit by a boat’s propeller while his wife watched the horror from the shore
Allan Stanley described as a 'hard worker' who 'was the salt of the earth'
A GRANDFATHER died after being hit by a boat's propeller as he snorkelled off the coast of Malta, while his helpless wife watched on from the shore.
Allan Stanley, 76, was on holiday when he was killed instantly by the passing boat.
Allan's wife Diane told an inquest into his death: "It happened in seconds, there wasn't enough time for me to shout or do anything."
Police questioned a 19-year-old Maltese man in charge of the rigid inflatable boat that struck Allan, but he was not charged.
Pathologist Dr Mark Lord told the inquest Mr Stanley suffered head injuries and his death was "likely to have been virtually instantaneous".
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Coroner Dewi Pritchard-Jones said: "A person snorkelling is very difficult to see.
"At best it's only part of the top of the head that can be seen.
"Whether the person operating the boat looked or made any efforts to see if anyone was in the water, I can't say."
Allan spent up to four months-a-year on the island of Gozo, North of Malta and swam two miles-a-day in Hondoq ir-Rummien Bay, known for its crystal clear waters.
His son Russell, 43, said at the time of the tragedy in June: "He was hit by a boat and they tried to repair him in the ambulance.
"He was a keen swimmer and kept very fit for his age. He'd swim a mile or two every day when he was over there.
"Dad was a hard worker but had reached the age where he deserved a bit of time abroad.
"He loved it there, he always looked forward to going."
Tributes were paid to carpenter Allan who ran a pine furniture business in the village of Penrhos in north Wales.
One friend said: "It is a terrible thing to have happened, he was the salt of the earth."
The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death.
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