Grief campaigner, 52, found dead on UK beach in same spot her son, 18, died six years before

A GRIEF campaigner was tragically discovered dead on a UK beach in the same spot her 18-year-old son died six years earlier.

Charmaine George, 52 – who had been campaigning for her son Ewan after his tragic death in May 2020 – was found dead in Portreath, Cornwall.

Charmaine was left devastated after Ewan was found at the bottom of cliffs after a night out camping with friends.

Following Ewan’s death, she joined the Good Grief Trust and helped set up pop-up cafes to help others who are bereaved.

Her relentless work saw her win the Caroline Flack Mental Health Hero Award at The Sun Who Cares Wins Awards in 2021.

Charmaine’s body was sadly found earlier this month at the same place on Lighthouse Hill, which she previously described as Ewan’s “happy place”.

In a touching tribute on Facebook, The Good Grief Trust hailed Charmaine’s “passion to help others”.

It read: “We are so sorry to share this news about a past member of our team, who sadly died earlier this week.

“Charmaine George helped to create new Good Grief Pop Up Cafes with us in Cornwall where she lived and develop our project elsewhere as well.

“She had tragically experienced the death of her young son Ewan and was passionate to help others find vital support.

“We were extremely proud to be invited to The Sun’s Who Cares Wins Awards where Charmaine won The Caroline Flack Mental Health Hero Award, for starting our Cafe.

“What a proud evening for Charmaine and for us all.

“She helped to improve access to vital support services with the launch of our Good Grief Pop Up Cafes in Cornwall, and helped many others find a way forward with their life, after losing someone they loved.

“We send her daughter Libby, and her family and friends, all our love and support at this incredibly difficult time.”

Coastguard crews confirmed they had pulled the body of a woman in her 50s from the water near Lighthouse Hill on October 5.

Ewan’s body was found at the bottom of a cliff on the same beach, but his loved ones still don’t know if he jumped or if he fell.

Speaking after the tragedy, Charmaine said: “That is something we will never know.

“At his inquest, the coroner recorded an open verdict so we will never know whether or not it was suicide.

“Lighthouse Hill was his happy place. He used to go there a lot with his girlfriend to watch the sunset as it’s very beautiful.”

An inquest was opened into Charmaine’s death at Cornwall Coroner’s Court in Truro last week.

It was adjourned by assistant coroner Guy Davies in order to establish the legal cause of death.

In a previous statement, Devon and Cornwall Police said her death was not being treated as suspicious.

The force said: “We were called following a report of a woman’s body being located on the shoreline off Lighthouse Hill, Portreath.

“The body of the woman in her 50s was recovered by Coastguard.

“Her next of kin has been informed. The death is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for HM Coroner.”

Losing her son in lockdown, Charmaine told how she had struggled to find any face- t-o face support.

She said: “I had telephone counselling. Most of the bereaved parent groups were very sad and I didn’t want to be wallowing.

“Yes it is sad and yes it is heart-breaking. But I wanted to find a way to move forward.

“I searched ‘good grief’ online and came across a Facebook page for The Good Grief Trust.

“They were advertising for volunteers to run cafes and there were none in Cornwall.”

Charmaine spoke to the charity’s founder Linda Magistris, 57, and quickly set up her own cafe.

She went on to run fortnightly grief cafes at Amy’s Kitchen and Bar in Treviskey, Cornwall.