British travel company director, 34, drowned in California after walking into the sea fully clothed following a severe panic attack over fears he had a brain tumour, inquest hears
- Tom Vaughan, 34, had done yoga on the beach with his mother before walking in
- He had left the flat he shared with his girlfriend that morning to ‘clear his head’
- Travel director was ‘living the dream’ since moving to Santa Monica, California
- For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, or click here for details
A 34-year-old British travel company director drowned after walking into a rough sea fully clothed and having a panic attack over fears he had a brain tumour, an inquest has heard.
Tom Vaughan used his phone to do yoga with his mother on a beach in Santa Monica, California, to calm his nerves before walking into the sea.
He was found unresponsive 45 minutes later. Firefighters attempted to perform CPR on him before he was rushed to Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Centre and pronounced dead in the early hours 23 May 2019.
Mr Vaughan was described as ‘living the dream’ since he moved to California in 2016 and was ‘thinking positively about the future’, Winchester Coroners’ court, Hampshire, heard.
Tom Vaughan used his phone to do yoga with his mother on the beach in Santa Monica, California, before walking into the sea
Mr Vaughan had left the flat he shared with his girlfriend Sandra Wirhed, pictured with him above, saying that he needed to ‘clear his head’. His mother called while he was on the beach
The travel company director had left the flat he shared with his girlfriend Sandra Wirhed that morning and told her he was going for a walk to ‘clear his head’.
Ms Wirhead said in a statement read to the court: ‘He was shaking and saying I’m not feeling good sweetie.
‘He took some beta blockers prescribed by his psychiatrist and eventually he calmed down and said he needed some fresh air and need to go for a walk. He said he needed to be alone.
‘He was a man who loved his life in California he was competitive and a real fighter.’
Thomas Parry, a childhood friend, told the court: ‘(Mr Vaughan) had recently begun surfing as a way to seek calm in a busy work life.’
He said Mr Vaughan was not a strong swimmer, however, and said the water on the beach was rougher that morning than he was used to.
His mother, Daphne, called him while he was on the beach. Area Coroner Jason Pegg told the inquest: ‘She called and spoke to Tom and said he did seem stressed and he feared he had a brain tumour.
‘She asked him to plant his feet in the sand and they did a yoga pose together for five or ten minutes. Tom accepted he had an anxiety moment.’
Mr Vaughan had moved to California in 2016 to work as a company travel director (stock)
The court heard Tom had seen a psychiatrist in the days before his death but had been clear he was not having any suicidal thoughts.
The inquest also heard a statement from Mr Vaughan’s father, Nigel, which said: ‘Tom had anxiety but that is very different to clinical depression. Tom was living the dream and in his final days he was thinking positively about the future…
‘He was brilliant at connecting people and he was widely admired. He had made a real success of his life there, he had a girlfriend and he had good friends.
‘Tom was someone who was making plans for the future. He was really competitive and a real fighter and a man whose success was built upon his own hard work and endeavours…
‘He did wake up in a panic associated with his anxiety and went for a walk on the beach to walk off his anxiety. He spoke with his mother and his anxiety did dissipate.
Mr Vaughan had been ‘living the dream’ and ‘thinking positively about the future’, Winchester Coroners’ court heard
‘Tom got into difficulties while in the water and those difficulties have resulted in him drowning…
‘This was an accident, Tom chose to go into the sea and sadly drowned because he was not a strong swimmer and he was not used to that beach and the conditions following a storm the night before.’
Coroner Pegg recorded a verdict of accidental death. Authorities in Los Angeles had initially recorded the death as suicide.
For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, or click here for details.