Sea tragedy barmaid still missing

Jul 24 2007 By Steve Johnson, Birmingham Mail

POLICE were today still searching for the body of a 20-year-old Stourbridge barmaid missing at sea.

Officers from the Hampshire Marine Support Unit spent Sunday searching the waters between Whitecliff Bay and The Needles, off the Isle of Wight, looking for Heather Harris, of Woodfield Avenue, Wollescote after an accident in which her friend died.

A spokesman for Hampshire Police said that there was no sign of Heather, but the search would continue.

The tragedy happened last Wednesday when 28-year-old Richard Perry, of Victoria Street, Brierley Hill, went out in his 19ft rigid inflatable boat with Heather.

Mr Perry's body was found off Whitecliff Bay and his body was formally identified the next day by his parents, Edward and Margaret.

The police spokesman said that a post mortem examination had confirmed that Mr Perry died from drowning.

An inquest was opened yesterday at Newport coroner's court on the Isle of Wight.

Heather had worked as a barmaid at the Foresters Arms pub in Bridgnorth Road, Wollaston, Stourbridge, for two years.

Margaret Hayward, who is currently running the pub in the absence of owners Phil and Sue Gardiner, said that they were on holiday, but would be devastated when they found out what had happened.

"Heather was a lovely, bubbly girl and everyone loved her here.

"Everyone at the pub is in a state of shock over what has happened," added Margaret.

Heather and Richard were on holiday with Richard's best friend and business partner, Nick Harris, the father of Heather, and Nick's partner Diane Moore, when tragedy struck.

Richard, a design engineer, and Nick ran an industrial unit together at Lye, near Stourbridge.