An Oldham doctor has died off the coast of Tenerife after she tried to rescue two children who had got into difficulties.
Uma Ramalingam, 42, along with Barathi Ruvikumar, 39, drowned after being swept away by waves while on holiday.
Emergency crews were unable to resuscitate the women, who were pronounced dead on Sunday evening.
Olubusola Amu, consultant and clinical director of Women and Children Services at The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, described Uma as a ‘fantastic doctor’.
“We are greatly saddened to hear the death of Uma who had been working for the Trust for about six years,” she told ITV.
“She was a fantastic doctor who brought a lot of hope to the high-risk women attending the Women and Children’s Unit at The Royal Oldham Hospital.
“This is a terrible shock to everyone who knew Uma. Our thoughts are with her family at this sad time. She will be sorely missed.”
Uma was a consultant obstetrician at The Royal Oldham Hospital Women and Children’s Unit.
Emergency services were alerted just before 6pm local time that three women and two children were in difficulties off a beach on the south coast, near Playa Paraiso.
Locals and tourists dragged four of the people involved out of the water before a helicopter rescued the fifth.
The third woman, aged 38, who has not been named, survived along with the two children, aged 10 and 14, after being rescued by emergency services.
The 14-year-old was treated at the scene for bruises caused by rocks at the water’s edge while the 10-year-old was taken to hospital with hypothermia.
The five are understood to be of Indian descent and are part of the same extended family.
The incident happened near Playa Paraiso, a quiet purpose-built resort which has a handful of restaurants, shops and bars.
The beach lies near the golden-and-black sand shores of Costa Adeje and is made up of rock and shingle.
According to the island’s tourist board, more than 1.5million British tourists visited Tenerife last year.
