Weather delays seal attack inquest

Kirsty Brown was snorkelling when a leopard seal pulled her under

The inquest into the death of a marine biologist killed by a seal in the Antarctic has been delayed for at least a fortnight because of poor weather conditions.

Nick Sanders, the senior magistrate and coroner for the Falkland Islands has been appointed to hold the inquest into the death of 28-year-old Kirsty Brown.

However, he cannot be flown into the Antarctic because of winter weather - temperatures have dropped as low as -71C.

The Cambridge-based British Antarctic Survey (BAS) does not usually fly people in or out of their base during the southern hemisphere's winter months.

The first flights usually begin in October, when the extreme temperatures begin to ease.

A spokeswoman for BAS said: "It is still winter in Antarctica, and this means that BAS aircraft are unlikely to be able to fly the coroner from the Falklands to Rothera Research Station until mid August at the earliest."

She said the inquest will take place as soon as possible.

In the meantime Miss Brown's body is being stored in a specially-made mortuary on the station.

Miss Brown, from Southwater, near Horsham, West Sussex, died when she was attacked without warning by a leopard seal last week.

She was working for the British Antarctic Survey at its Rothera base and was snorkelling with her dive buddy near the station when the seal pulled her underwater.

A rescue boat was launched immediately and although her colleagues were able to pull her from the water, they were unable to revive her.