Charmaine Lyn George, USA News: A grief campaigner has been discovered dead on the same Cornwall beach where her son, Ewan, passed away six years prior at the age of 18. Charmaine Lyn George, 52, was found on Portreath beach on Cornwall’s north coast by a member of the public on October 5, an inquest opening has heard.
Emergency responders, including Devon and Cornwall Police, Coastguard teams from Portreath and St Agnes, an RNLI lifeboat crew from St Agnes, and paramedics, arrived at the scene. Miss George was pronounced dead, and her body was recovered. Ewan had been discovered beneath the cliffs at the same location on Portreath Lighthouse Hill in 2020.
Born in Islington, north London, Miss George worked as a travel agent before dedicating her life to supporting bereaved families. A year after Ewan’s passing, she established a grief café and partnered with the Good Grief Trust to launch their pop-up café initiative across Cornwall and the wider United Kingdom. She coordinated fortnightly sessions at Amy’s Kitchen and Bar in Treviskey, Cornwall.
The Good Grief Trust released a statement following her death, noting her dedication to helping others find vital support. In 2021, Miss George won the Caroline Flack award at The Sun’s Who Cares Wins Awards for launching the café network. The trust extended its love and support to her daughter, Libby, along with her family and friends.
An inquest into Miss George’s death was opened at Cornwall Coroner’s Court in Truro on Thursday, October 22. Assistant coroner for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Guy Davies stated that police responded to the shoreline after a member of the public raised a welfare concern. Because of limited coastal access, officers requested assistance from HM Coastguard.
Mr Davies adjourned the proceedings, confirming that ongoing investigations continue and that the medical cause of death has not yet been determined. A full inquest is scheduled for next year. Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed that her next of kin had been notified and that her death is not being treated as suspicious. An inquest into Ewan’s previous death had returned an open verdict.
