Romantic holiday ruined by tragedy

May 22 2008 by Neil Mckay, The Journal

A WOMAN died in the arms of her North East-born fiance less than an hour after he proposed to her on the holiday island of Cyprus.

Nerys Lloyd-Crabtree, 52, fell and hit her head on a hard floor on Monday as she walked back to her room with fiance John Cameron after a romantic dinner and entertainment show in their hotel near the popular resort of Paphos.

Mr Cameron, 56, who comes from Consett, County Durham, cradled her as she was rushed to hospital but she was pronounced dead on arrival.

He told a local journalist: “I’d just asked her to marry me.”

That evening they had enjoyed dinner at their hotel and were watching a show organised by their tour company Thomas Cook.

Mr Cameron added: “They were playing the Lion King at the show which she loved. She looked at me and joked, ‘You’ve missed your chance’ (to propose).”

Mr Cameron promptly left his seat, went back on stage and asked the entertainers to play the Lion King again.

He said: “I went up on stage and asked her to marry me in front of everyone. She joined me on the stage and said yes.”

They watched the rest of the show, which finished 45 minutes later. Then, as they walked back to their hotel room Ms Lloyd-Crabtree, of St Asaph, North Wales, tripped and hit her head.

Doctors found an injury on the back of her head but were unable immediately to confirm the cause of death. A post- mortem examination was scheduled to be carried out yesterday.

The couple arrived alone in Cyprus on Monday morning and were staying at the Paphian Sun Holiday Village in Kissonerga. They spent Monday afternoon browsing in Paphos market.

Mr Cameron said: “We were looking at engagement rings and joking.”

Last night former neighbours of Mr Cameron at Medomsley Road, Consett, expressed shock at the news.

One man said: “He used to work for the Northern coach company. He moved away from here at least two years ago after a previous relationship ended.

“He had moved here from Canada but I understood he came from Consett originally. He is certainly British, not Canadian.

“It is a tremendous shame what has happened to his fiancee.”

Ms Lloyd-Crabtree, a mother of two, was the general manager of James Pringle Weavers in Llanfairpwll on Anglesey for the past five years, and had been employed by the company for at least 10 years.

Assistant manager Ashley Lynch, speaking behalf of staff at the store, said: “We are all devastated here. This is a close-knit team and Nerys was not just a colleague, she was a friend.

“She was well-liked and well-respected and we are all just trying to come to terms with the news, which has come as a huge shock. It has been hard for everyone to get through and it has also affected the wider community who have come in to pay their own tributes to Nerys.

“Our feelings are with her family, especially her son Ben and daughter Lorna.”

It is understood Ms Lloyd-Crabtree was divorced from her first husband, Nick Crabtree, a retired police officer.