Man , 27 , from Dorset drowned on holiday in Portugal

dorsetecho.co.uk · Feb 21, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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A hearing presided over by Brendan Allen, area coroner for Dorset, heard that Gregor Grant, 27, and of the Bridport area, died while abroad. The official record of inquest states that Mr Grant was found deceased on a beach on Armona Island, Quelfes, Olhao, Portugal on October 11, 2023. Mr Grant had been holidaying with family and friends at a villa near Faro and decided to remain in the country for a few days after his family and friends had returned home on October 9. The following day Mr Grant took a water taxi to Armona Island, where he had also stayed the previous night. It was established that Mr Grant had entered the sea and drowned between October 10-11. It was heard at a prior pre inquest review (PIR) that there was no third-party involvement and no criminality involved in the death. The PIR was also told that the coroner’s office has had ‘considerable correspondence’ with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) due to the incident taking place in Portugal. At the time of the incident, the National Maritime Authority (AMN) revealed that a member of the public had reported the presence of a body on Armona-Ria beach and crew members from the Olhão Lifesaving Station, members of the Olhão Maritime Police Command, and the Judicial Police immediately went to the scene. Upon arrival at the scene, it was found that the body of Mr Grant was lying face down and there were signs of blood on the head, prompting the Judicial Police to begin an investigation. The death was confirmed by a health official, and after the public prosecutor was informed, the body was taken to the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences in Faro. The local Maritime Police Command in Olhão then took charge of the incident. It has been determined by the Dorset inquest that Mr Grant's cause of death was accidental.