British student 'accidentally drowned' on remote beach in Canada, inquest hears

‘I am satisfied that there was no third-party involvement in her death,’ says coroner

Perce on the Gaspé peninsula in the Canadian province of Quebec (Dennis Jarvis / Wikimedia Commons (licensed under creative commons))

An architecture student from Bristol found dead on a remote beach in Canada after hitch-hiking to a wild beauty spot accidentally drowned, an inquest has heard.

Jyothi Pillay, 27, travelled to the Gaspe peninsula in Quebec at the end of March 2018.

Her body was discovered on a remote beach near the town of Perce on 9 April last year.

On Monday, a report read by Canadian coroner Steve Poisson at an inquest in Bristol ruled out suicide or foul play, finding that she had drowned.

Mr Poisson said: “Ms Pillay was unfamiliar with the dangers of the ice and she could have been careless when confronted with these conditions. The theory of accidental drowning has been returned.”

Dr Peter Harrowing, assistant coroner for Avon, also reached a conclusion of accidental death. He said: “I am satisfied that there was no third-party involvement in her death.”

Ms Pillay, a postgraduate student at Central Saint Martins university in London, had purchased a sleeping bag and hitchhiked south along the coast towards Perce.

The last people to see her alive were two individuals who picked her up in their vehicle and dropped her in the small town.

Her body was partially in the water at the time she was discovered by a paddle boarder, with her possessions nearby. She was later declared dead at hospital.

Friends, family and teachers paid tribute to Ms Pillay online following the tragedy. They called her “idealistic and smart” and “warm, friendly and caring with a great sense of humour”.

In memory of the 27-year-old student, Central Saint Martins established the Jyothi Pillay Memorial Prize to preserve her memory.

It will be awarded annually to a graduating M. ARCH Architecture student who demonstrates a “talent, compassion and sensitivity for community engagement”.

In a speech announcing the prize her tutor Dr Melanie Dodd said: “Jyothi was curious, independent, and a talented young architect. What shone through all her projects was a deep curiosity and willingness to engage with other people in the community.”

Ms Pillay had lived in Bristol with her family before going to university.

Additional reporting by agencies