Hurricane Odile: Body of British woman missing after Mexico storm found

Simone Wood and Paul Whitehouse were understood to be staying in a yacht off the coast of Mexico's Baja California region

A general view shows the damage left by Hurricane Odile at a neighbourhood in Los Cabos (REUTERS/Mexico Presidency)

The body of a British woman, who went missing off the coast of Mexico after Hurricane Odile hit a yacht she was staying in, has been found.

A search operation was launched to find Simone Wood and Paul Whitehouse, after the couple were declared missing in the aftermath of the storm.

Hurricane Odile swept through the Baja California peninsula in north-western Mexico last Sunday, touching down in the popular tourist destination of Cabo San Lucas with wind speeds of 125mph.

It caused widespread disruption and devastation, while Ms Wood and Mr Whitehouse, who were understood to have been living on a yacht off the city of La Paz for a year, disappeared. Mr Whitehouse is still missing.

Britain’s Foreign Office confirmed that one Briton had died and that the embassy “is working with the local authorities and consular staff” to provide “assistance to both families at this very difficult time”. The couple are from London and Wolverhampton.

Three other people have been confirmed dead following the hurricane including two Koreans and one German man who is believed to have died from a heart attack.

An extraordinary video posted to Weather.com shows Odile ravaging a hotel in Cabo San Lucas, while thousands of holidaymakers were left stranded at its airport days after the storm subsided.

A friend of Mr Whitehouse, Simon Barlow, said that they are “massively worried, really concerned with the situation over in Mexico.

He told Channel 4 News yesterday: “We are all hoping that they are going to be found and it's just communications that's not letting us find that information out.

“We're waiting and anticipating, you just can't put it into words, you just can't go over there to help.

“I'm hoping that his background of being in the Army has hopefully served a purpose and they're both fine.”

A second storm which was feared to be making its way to the stricken beach resort is now moving away, the National Hurricane Centre has said.

Storm Polo currently has speeds of 40mph and is moving westwards away from land.