An Edinburgh vet tragically died on holiday in Columbia after a tropical storm hit during a hiking expition.
Thomas Arthur, 27, and his wife Carolyn were on holiday in the South American country in late 2019 when they became trapped in a tropical storm. While out hiking in Tayrona National Park, Thomas collapsed on the floor as his wife desperately began CPR.
Despite her efforts, Thomas never regained consciousness after the pair were stranded on the nearby Brava Beach for around 40 minutes. As a result of the storm, there was no way a helicopter or boat could reach them in time.
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An inquest into Thomas' death revealed he had traces of cocaine in his bloodstream which his wife believes may have been a result of his drink being spiked at a music festival they attended a few days before.
The pair met at a veterinary practice in Aberdeen in 2015 and moved to Edinburgh the following year where they got married, reports Grimsby Live.
The inquest heard how they took several wrong turns during their hike, causing them to walk for longer than expected. Carolyn says she had no idea that Thomas had taken cocaine and said it may have been from the festival, although it has not been confirmed.
In tribute, Carolyn said: "Thomas enjoyed watching movies and loved board games. He lived in London whilst studying to become a vet and then moved to Aberdeen where he got his first job where we met in August 2015.
"We then moved to Edinburgh in March 2016." Speaking about his personality, Carolyn painted Thomas to be a warm, loving character who lived for his job.
"He was kind, caring, compassionate and welcoming. He would do anything for anyone." Recalling the day he died, she said they had got to the national park for what was meant to be a half an hour hike. "We went to Santa Marta and started our hike, but got lost.
"We'd taken a wrong turn and ended up on an area that was hard walking and Thomas had become breathless. After more walking, he was in a bad way and we thought at first he had heat exhaustion. We were trying to make it to a hostel to get help when he collapsed."
In her final words, she said: "Tom will be remembered for his kindness and compassion."
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