A widow whose husband was killed by a shark during their honeymoon in the Seychelles said today she wanted people to "smile and feel uplifted and comforted when they hear his name".

Gemma Redmond, 27, married her sweetheart Ian Redmond, 30, just 10 days before his horrific death last August.

Today, the primary school teacher read a statement after an inquest at Bolton Coroner's Court ruled that her IT expert husband's death was accidental.

Fighting back tears, she said: "I do not want Ian's legacy to be dominated by an awful accident which makes people sad and distressed.

"It is my wish that Ian be remembered for his special qualities and the remarkable way in which he enriched the lives of his family and friends for 30 years.

"I know that he would want people to smile and feel uplifted and comforted when they hear his name."

The inquest heard the couple, from Wigan, Greater Manchester, were starting their new life together when the shark attacked Mr Redmond as he was snorkelling in waters off Anse Lazio beach on Praslin, the second-largest island in the Seychelles archipelago.

He was quickly brought to shore and a French surgeon who was also on holiday gave first aid on the beach as his new wife looked on.

But Mr Redmond, who was a keen sportsman with previous snorkelling experience, died due to massive blood loss.
Bolton Deputy Coroner Alan Walsh today described the attack as a "tragic and horrendous experience".

He said: "During his honeymoon, Ian went for a swim in the sea at Anse Lazio beach and intended to snorkel. It was an activity he had done on many occasions in the past.

"He would not have known that it would present any danger, there was no warning or signs on that beach and the beach was full of people swimming in the sea."

"Ian lost his life in the most tragic circumstances and at a time when he was at his happiest," he added.
The Seychelles is one of the most popular exotic destinations for British honeymooners, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge spent their honeymoon on North Island last year.

But Mr Redmond's death was the second fatal shark attack in the space of a month after a 36-year-old French tourist was killed by a shark in the same area two weeks before.

Government officials on the islands issued a ban on swimming in certain areas until the killer shark was captured by search teams.

Mrs Redmond today denied that she or her husband had been aware of the previous attack.

She said: "It has been confirmed that no warnings of any kind were given to myself and Ian, and I acknowledge the reasons for this.

"It is the ocean and wildlife can choose to come and go as it pleases."

Bernard Silver, acting high commissioner for the Republic of Seychelles, told the inquest today that neither before nor after last August had there been any other shark attacks registered in waters off the islands.

After the hearing, he said: "There are shark fish in the Indian Ocean but there are also sharks off the coast of Cornwall.

"This was a rather awful one-off freak accident involving a rogue shark."