The fiancée of a British tourist who drowned in a flooded Thai cave told an inquest yesterday how he said, "I love you", shortly before jumping into the churning waters in an attempt to raise the alarm.

John Cullen, 24, who hoped that the current would carry him to safety, was swept to his death, along with seven others, before he could find help.

Only Helena Carroll, 21, survived the tragedy after spending 16 hours clinging to a ledge in the cave in the Khao Sok national park, southern Thailand. She was eventually found by rescuers.

Yesterday an inquest into the death of Mr Cullen, held at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall, West Midlands, heard her account of the events.

She said that the tourists – including a Swiss family of four and a 10-year-old German boy – were led by guides into the cave complex on Oct 13 last year.

They heard a "sudden roar" and a torrent of water rushed in after a bout of heavy monsoon rain.

Recalling the last time she saw Mr Cullen, a surveyor from Solihull, she said: "John said, 'I'm going to go with the water and see if I can get some help and get you out of here'.

"He just said he loved me and let go and he was just gone.

"I sat for 16 hours. I sat on my own in the dark. I just prayed that someone would save me.

"I was debating whether to jump or not but I didn't know how far down it was."

Aidan Cotter, the coroner, recorded a verdict of accidental death.