Mysterious Deaths in Essaouira

The UK newspaper, The Times, is reporting a very strange and tragic event in Morocco. According to the story, by Simon de Bruxelles, a man and his wife died just four days apart. Both died from falls. However, there are many unanswered questions.

The couple, Roger and Tilly Lamb were originally from Pershore, Worcestershire and had been on holiday with their sons aged 9 to 16. The now orphaned children have been flown back to Britain and are now being cared for by a relative.

Reports from Morocco suggest that Mrs Lamb, 44, was badly injured in a 60ft (18m) fall from the balcony of their rented apartment in the resort of Essaouira on Wednesday night last week. She died in intensive care at the Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah Essaouira provincial hospital on Saturday.

The following day, her grief-stricken husband is reported to have jumped from the second floor of the Sofitel Hotel in Essaouira. He was transferred to a specialist hospital 250 miles (402km) away in Marrakesh where he died on Sunday night.

News of the tragedy has shocked friends and neighbours in Worcestershire and colleagues of Mr Lamb’s in Christchurch, New Zealand, where he had been working for the past year. The circumstances of the death are still being investigated by the Foreign Office as initial reports suggested Mrs Lamb had been injured while hiking with her husband and he had slipped trying to help her.

Friends said Mrs Lamb and the four boys had been planing to join Mr Lamb in New Zealand but were still living in the family home in Pensham near Pershore at the time of their deaths.

Roger Lamb is said to have overwhelmed by grief following his wife's death 

Mr Lamb, a University of Birmingham graduate, had recently been involved in the rebuilding of the New Zealand city of Christchurch after the earthquake in February. In his online CV,he described his interests as ‘’Family, fell running and horses’’. Since moving to New Zealand he had joined a local running club and had been looking for a home for his family.

West Mercia Police said the deaths had been reported to the coroner who had yet to set a date for the inquests. A spokesman said: ‘’West Mercia Police were made aware of this incident this week. Officers from south Worcestershire made some initial inquiries but the matter is now with the coroner for Wiltshire and the Foreign Commonwealth Office.’’