A POPULAR nurse who died after scuba diving in the Caribbean had drowned, according to a post mortem examination.

Tina Baxter, 47, a matron at the Royal Blackburn and Burnley General Hospitals, had been diving off the West Coast of the Caymen Islands when she passed out and returned to the surface unconscious.

Attempts were made to resuscitate Ms Baxter, of Primet Heights, Colne, on the boat, before paramedics took her to hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Police said that a post mortem examination had discovered that Ms Baxter had died as a result of drowning.

A statement from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) said: "The 911 Emergency Communications Centre received a call from a member of the public at around 10.40am reporting that a woman aboard a dive boat was unconscious and being brought back to shore at West Bay public beach.

"Medics and police were deployed to the scene while CPR was administered aboard the boat. Ms Baxter was taken to hospital but unfortunately passed away.

"It would appear the woman had been diving with a group of other divers when she passed out on the ascent to the surface.

"A post mortem revealed Ms Baxter died from drowning. She had been vacationing in Cayman. The RCIPS is in the process of preparing a file for the coroner."

Ms Baxter was on a two-week cruise when the incident took place last Saturday during an organised dive at West Bay.

Her mother, Sylvia Whittaker, had been on the holiday with her but had not gone on the dive.

She said Ms Baxter, who had taken part in 108 dives, was a "wonderful" person who "died doing what she loved most".

Tributes were also paid by work colleagues.

Finlay Robertson, chief executive of the Lancashire Care Trust, said: "Everyone at the trust was deeply saddened to learn of the sudden and tragic death of Tina Baxter. She was a valued staff member who cared passionately about older people and worked tirelessly to improve services. She will be sadly missed."

Ms Baxter started her nursing career at the Airedale General Hospital aged 18 before specialising in psychiatric care.

She worked as a modern matron in the older people's service run by Lancashire Care Trust, which looks after mental health provision. She worked with patients at Burnley and Blackburn hospital sites.