Beverley Ann Roca, 47, of Welland Vale Road, Corby, had taken a boat trip with her cousin Darren Atkin and they decided to go for a swim.

But when Mr Atkin looked back he saw Mrs Roca face down in the water.

He pulled her from the sea and fetched a holiday rep to help revive her, but she died on the beach. The tragedy happened in Salou in July 2004, but an inquest into the cause of the death only took place yesterday.

The coroner heard the pair had taken a boat trip, walked round the harbour and a local market, ate a meal and drank lager before going for a swim in the sea.

After half an hour in the water, Mrs Roca got out and put on sun cream before going to lay face-down on the beach.

When Mr Atkin got out of the water he found his cousin in a "deep sleep" and woke her to get her to wash the sand off her face.

The pair then went back into the water for a final swim.

They swam along the shore in the waist-high water but Mr Atkin got out to walk along the edge of the water instead.

He turned back less than a minute later to see Mrs Roca floating in the water.

He pulled her out and he and a holiday rep tried in vain to revive Mrs Roca after initially finding a faint pulse.

Mr Atkin then had to wait with his cousin's body for three-and-a-half hours on the beach until the Spanish authorities arrived.

Deputy coroner Rodney Haig said: "Beverley appears to have been drinking on and off all day."

He said she had had a "considerable amount" of alcohol in her body. A post mortem carried out in Spain found the cause of death was due to drowning.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Mr Haig said: "I am satisfied Beverley Roca suffered a drowning accident when she was on holiday in Spain."

He said she had been affected by alcohol, which may have affected her ability to cope with any problem while she was swimming.