British couple drown in Cyprus dinghy accident

A British couple drowned yesterday while trying to save their son after their dinghy capsized in Cyprus.

Peter Rainey, his wife, Alison, and their nine-year-old son, Callum, were plunged into rough seas when the rubber boat overturned only 100 metres from the shore. Both parents were declared dead after the incident, which was witnessed by their six-year-old daughter on the beach.

Callum remained in hospital last night, where his condition was serious but not thought to be life-threatening. His sister was being treated for shock.

The family, from Dollar, near Stirling in Scotland, had been due to return home today from their holiday at a resort in Paphos, south-west Cyprus.

The tragedy unfolded shortly after Mrs Rainey, 41, and her son took the rubber dinghy out to sea. When the boat overturned a short distance from the shore, Mr Rainey, a 49-year-old Falklands War veteran, is thought to have run into the water to help them.

After righting the boat, all three climbed on board before it overturned again. Holidaymakers are thought to have eventually brought the three to shore to administer first aid after realising they were in difficulty.

Relatives and neighbours of the family were in a state of shock as news broke of the tragedy in their hometown.

Mr Rainer, who was originally from New Zealand, had moved to Dollar with his wife and family four years ago. The couple, who were well known and popular in the close-knit community, operated a business together from home, with Mr Rainer training helicopter pilots in the use of night-vision goggles, while his wife was a laser and electronics expert.

The Rev John Purves, minister at Dollar Parish Church, described how the community was suffering deeply at the loss of a "perfect" family. "They were just a perfect family - always together, always doing things together," he said. "On an evening like this you could expect to see the whole family cycling past together.

"There will be a deep sense of loss. It is a relatively small community, most people know each other, they have children at school, they came to church, so most people will know them a little and everyone will share in the sense of loss."

Keith Brown, a councillor in the town, added: "Dollar is a small, tight-knit community where everyone knows everyone else. A tragedy like this, especially to a young family with children, will be keenly felt throughout the village. It's a terrible shock."

Boating accidents claimed the lives of about 60 Britons every year while on holiday, said Roger Vincent, of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). "It's important with the holiday season coming up that people do heed safety advice," he said. RoSPA advises that inflatable dinghies and toys should not be used in the sea because of the dangers of offshore winds and tides.

They should only be used on inshore waters such as lakes and pools if the water is in a sheltered spot, and should always be tethered so that they can be pulled back to shore, Mr Vincent said. People in any kind of dinghy should wear buoyancy aids, he added.

A neighbour in Dollar said: "They were very nice, friendly people, they looked after our house when we went away and we looked after theirs.

"They were very keen on outdoor activities like cycling and walking. They went on skiing holidays but this was the first time they went away at this time in the summer and they were looking forward to it.

"I saw them a couple of days before they went away and I was going in tomorrow to turn the water on and get their dinners out of the freezer."