Two long-term friends who moved to Wales from Germany together around 30 years ago were found dead just over a month apart, Ceredigion’s coroner has heard.

Angelika Gertrud Boing, 57, and 56-year-old Elvira Henschell had lived together in Llanddewi Brefi for several years.

But after Ms Boing’s death on 8 June, Ms Henschell’s body was found at their home just over a month later on 15 July.

Coroner Peter Brunton said the two women had been estranged from their families with police unable to trace any next of kin meaning family members probably do not even know of the deaths of Ms Boing or Ms Henschell.

Mr Brunton heard that Ms Boing’s body was found floating in a lake at Llyn Berwyn, near Tregaron, by a fisherman, with a post mortem finding the cause of death was drowning.

PC Helen Yelland, one of the police officers who attended the scene, found that Ms Boing had been taken to the lake by a taxi driver after stopping off at a shop in Tregaron and buying alcohol.

Her belongings were found in a locked boathouse, which Ms Boing would have had to access by wading through water to get into the facility.

In a statement to police following Ms Boing’s discovery, Ms Henschell said the two women had a “little falling out” and that Ms Boing had made a comment about killing herself, however Ms Henschell said she had not thought much of the comment at the time and hadn’t taken it seriously.

However, Mr Brunton said there was no clear evidence that Ms Boing had intended to take her own life and that he also could not deliver a verdict of misadventure as it was unknown what had led to Ms Boing’s death.

He said he had no option but to record an open verdict.

Mr Brunton said Ms Henschell’s body was then found around a month later, just days after Ms Boing’s funeral, after a neighbour became concerned that he had not seen Ms Henschell for several days.

She was found on her bed holding a bottle of water with prescription pills around her.

A post mortem ruled that Ms Henschell’s cause of death was a sudden death as a result of alcohol misuse which led to a cardiac problem.

While Ms Henschell was not found to have alcohol in her system during the post mortem, Mr Brunton said he believed it was likely Ms Henschell had “retreated into drink” as a result of Ms Boing’s funeral which had led to the cardiac issue.

Recording a verdict of misadventure, Mr Brunton said there was no evidence suggesting Ms Henschell had meant to take her own life.

He added: “It’s rather sad to conclude that these two ladies who came to this country some 30 years ago should have reached a watershed with the death of Ms Boing, and Ms Henschell one month later.”

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