Mum pays tribute to 'active and outgoing' daughter

By pharper

A GEORGEHAM mother has paid tribute to her daughter who died in a freak diving accident.

Pip Upright, 40, died in Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, on Friday, October 9.

Her parents Pauline and Ivan live in North Devon and her funeral will be held in St George's Church in Georgeham today.

Pip was known to enjoy travel and adventure, often taking her prized VW Beetle to festivals.

A highlight experience for her was swimming with hammerhead sharks in Egypt.

Pip also competed in triathlons and had been diving for 14 years.

Mum Pauline said: "She was active and outgoing. Most of the tributes to her talk about her zest for life and her terrific sense of humour.

"She had bit of mischief about her. Even though she was 40 she could be as mischievous as a child. Her nieces and nephews loved her. She was very well known and liked by a lot of people."

At the time of the fatal incident at Vobster Quay, Somerset, Pip was training to become a dive master and had two learners with her.

Pauline said that Pip decided to resurface and may have got caught in a guide line. She never regained consciousness and died six days later in hospital.

An inquest has been opened into her death.

Pauline said: "As far as we're concerned it was just a terrible accident."

Pip has a brother Antony, a sister Bonita and a partner TJ.

"He was the love of her life, you knew that when you saw them together," said Pauline.

Pip grew up near Boscastle and studied at Cornwall College and then Birmingham University where she gained a degree in business and finance.

She worked as an advertising and sales manager for Byron Group in Uxbridge, Middlesex, for more than 12 years.