Body of British woman missing after Mexican hurricane has been found

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/21/body-british-woman-missing-mexican-hurricane-found

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The body of a British woman who went missing from a yacht off Mexico during hurricane Odile has been found, state prosecutors say.

The Foreign Office confirmed one Briton had died after a search operation was launched earlier this week for Paul Whitehouse and Simone Wood in the aftermath of the hurricane.

The couple, from London and Wolverhampton, are thought to have been living on their yacht in La Paz, near the tip of the Baja California peninsula, for a year.

Whitehouse is still missing, the Associated Press reported.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “We can confirm the death of a British national, reported missing along with another British national earlier this week off the coast of Mexico.

“The embassy is working with the local authorities and consular staff are providing assistance to both families at this very difficult time.”

Simon Barlow, a friend of Whitehouse, said those close to him were “massively worried, really concerned with the situation over in Mexico”.

Barlow told Channel 4 News on Saturday, before Wood’s body was found: “We’re waiting and anticipating, you just can’t put it into words, you just can’t go over there to help.

“I’m hoping that his background of being in the army has hopefully served a purpose and they’re both fine.”

Hurricane Odile left a trail of destruction when it hit Baja California last Sunday.

Three other people have been confirmed dead following the storm - two Korean citizens and a German man who reportedly died from a heart attack.

Mexican authorities have deployed more than 8,000 army, navy and federal police personnel to prevent looting in the area.