Linda Fentum (Prenter)

[Grahame]

Message from Ced Jackson:

It is with feelings of enormous personal loss and sadness that I inform you of Linda Fentum’s passing.

Linda had been away on a diving holiday last week in Kinlochbervie, in Scotland and failed to surface from a dive on Thursday morning. Despite a major search being carried out in the sea and surrounding area, her body was only found and recovered yesterday by Police Divers.

Linda has been a very active member of Malvern Dowsers and other dowsing groups locally supporting our and their activities and events over many years. She learned to dowse in South Africa and once she knew that she could find sources of underground water, pipes/cables and blockages she started to use her dowsing skills in all areas of her life.

She joined the British Society of Dowsers in 2006 on her return to the UK and was elected Chair of the Water and Services Group. Her friend and mentor, Peter Golding, worked closely with her for several years until she set up her own dowsing business in 2014 working with farmers and land owners.

Alongside her busy life as an IT trainer and water dowser, Linda participated in lots of local activities and had many interests including Geology. She was an enthusiastic friend always ready to explore new things and of course spread the word about the world of dowsing. She enjoyed teaching people how to dowse and was raising funds for a trip to Africa to help train local people how to locate fresh, drinking water.

Linda was a very special and valued member of our group and her energy and interest in people shone through. She was always fun and ready to help out whatever the problem. Her infectious smile and humour is known to many and she was a great explorer loving new places and experiences as well as always being generous and fair minded.

As Kate Smart has written, as dowsers we know that this of course is not the end of Linda’s journey, and that she continues to be that loving friend and caring colleague we value so much.

We shall greatly miss her physical presence but know her gifts to us in all the qualities we remember her by.

Thank you Linda and farewell.

Kate and Ced
Malvern Dowsers

[Grahame]

A rather belated tribute article on Birmingham Live:

Mystery of Malvern mum's diving death during holiday off coast of Scotland

Experienced female scuba diver Linda Fentum, who had with links to Malvern and Longbridge, never surfaced off North West Sutherland.

Mystery surrounds the death of a popular Worcestershire mum and experienced diver, who went missing during a diving holiday in Scotland prompting a ‘mayday’ emergency.

A full-scale coastguard rescue operation was launched for 64-year-old Linda Fentum, also known as Linda Prenter, when she failed to resurface from the water near Kinlochbervie in the west Highlands.

The mum-of-one, who lived in a flat in Worcester Road, Malvern, and had links to Edenhurst Road, Longbridge, was ‘passionate’ about scuba diving as a member of Hereford Sub Aqua Club. One of the final posts on her Facebook page was a photo of the sea with her comment ‘Can’t live without it’.

Full story: Click Here

I note they consistently manage to mis-spell 'douser', even when getting it right in the BSD name. Where are all the good copy editors these days?

[Grahame]

More tributes to Linda:

"The world has lost a beautiful person" say friends of mum who died on scuba diving holiday in Scotland.

Linda Fentum, of Worcester Road, Malvern, was found dead after being reported missing while diving off the coast of Sutherland near Kinlochbervie.

The inquest into the death of the 64-year-old professional water diviner's death will take place next week.

Linda's friend and fellow dowser Steve Dawson said he was still shocked by her death and she was far too young.

For full story, Click Here.