A FORMER nursing chief and charity worker has drowned in a holiday boating accident.

Margaret Yates, 69, who was awarded the MBE, died off the coast of the Isles of Scilly after a sudden change in sea conditions.

Her husband Albert, 74, and friend Brian Richards, were injured after their 16ft boat capsized on Sunday.

Coastguards said the trio were picked up by a local boat, but Mrs Yates was already dead.

None of them were wearing a lifejacket, coastguards said.

Mr Yates and Mr Richards, who is in his 80s and owned the boat, have now been discharged from hospital after being treated for their injuries.

Mrs Yates lived in Whinney Lane, Lammack, until her move to Devon with her husband five years ago.

Friends and colleagues in Blackburn have paid tribute to the former nurse and her family said they would remember her as a "selfless woman".

Niece Lindsay Lowe said: "It has been a terrible shock and we still can't believe it.

"Albert is very upset we are all devastated."

The couple, who did not have any children, were holidaying on the Isles of Scilly from their new home in the village of Braunton in North Devon.

Mrs Lowe said that they had visited the island every summer for more than 25 years and always stayed with the same friends.

They moved to Devon to be closer to family and their favourite holiday destination, she said.

In 2000 Mrs Yates was rewarded with an MBE for her outstanding nursing and managerial career with Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust and its predecessors.

She retired from her post as director of nursing/service manager of medical services in September 1993.

In addition, her voluntary work has supported Age Concern, Blackburn Stroke Club, Queen's Park Hospital League of Friends, the Community Health Council and Lancashire Ambulance NHS Trust.

Mrs Lowe said her charity work continued when she moved to Devon.

She said: "Margaret was involved with the local volunteer bureau and only last week she raised the most money out of all of the stalls at a charity carnival near her home.

"We are all very proud of her. She was a remarkable woman and a great loss not only to the family but the community on the whole."

Friends said Mr and Mrs Yates were keen birdwatchers and that was one of their main reasons for their holiday trips to the Isles of Scilly.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the accident happened in rough seas and was being treated as a tragic accident.

Mrs Yates' funeral is expected to take place next week after a post mortem examination is completed.

Click on the link below for tributes to Mrs Yates.