Dave Higgens A British woman died after apparently suffering the bends while on a diving trip in the South Pacific a week before she was due to be married, it was revealed yesterday.

IT consultant Jayne Bloom, 38, was diving in Truk Lagoon, on the island of Chuuk in Micronesia, when something went wrong. An inquest into her death was opened and adjourned on Tuesday.

Writing on a diving website, her fiance, Jeff Keep described how Ms Bloom became ill after completing a dive down to 187ft at the end of June. Mr Bloom, from Stockport, said the couple came up without any problems but on the boat things changed. He said: "She said she was fine. One minute later she reported she had lost her sight, she then started to go very weak."

Mr Keep said soon after this his fiancee lost consciousness. He said Ms Bloom was taken to hospital but later died.

Meanwhile, two other British families are in mourning after deaths abroad.

A 17-year-old is reported to have collapsed after drinking with friends on holiday at the Laganas beach resort on the island of Zakynthos, Greece.

The boy, thought to be from London, died in the early hours of Monday. His parents have been informed.

The family of a British man who was stabbed to death in New Zealand hailed him a hero yesterday.

David Roberts, 43, originally from Caernarfon, North Wales, was found dead in Auckland on Saturday.

Mr Roberts and an Indonesian man were stabbed to death in a ground floor flat. He had been working as a manager of the apartment block.

His family said Mr Roberts had tried to stop the alleged knifeman from entering the flat of a female resident.

Sister Karen Morgan, 47, and husband Ronald, also 47, said they were shocked. Mr Morgan said: "He died being a hero. If anybody tried to prevent somebody being hurt, he would."