Wales: New Zealand woman found dead in salon after marrying Brit

The family of a woman found dead in a solarium is raising funds to bring her body back to her home country.

Piata Tauwhare of New Zealand collapsed in an upright saloon compartment during an 11-minute session.

The 30-year-old is believed to have suffered sudden heart failure while visiting a beauty shop in Swansea.

She moved to Wales after marrying Ifan Jones, 23, in September, who sounded the alarm when she failed to return home.

He asked his mother, Emma Collyer-Miles, 42, to go to the Lextan salon to try and find her, and she was soon spotted on the floor of a stall.

After her death on Saturday, mother-in-law Emma described her as “an angel to us all” and said the horrific incident “will stay with me forever”.

Husband Ifan paid tribute to his “compassionate, selfless” psychiatrist wife as they tried to raise the £5,500 needed for her funeral in their native New Zealand.

He said: “Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of honoring the presence of Piata Tauwhare will know that she was one of the kindest and purest souls they have ever had and will ever be remembered.

“Her radiant smile, forever on her sun-kissed face, will forever live happily in our hearts.

“Even if she didn’t understand a word of what we were saying in our strange Welsh accent, her teeth still glistened politely and reassuringly to make us feel heard.

“That’s what she was in a nutshell, a compassionate, selfless woman who puts others first even when she couldn’t understand a damn word of ours.

“Pi was the most caring, special daughter, sister, cousin, friend and wife.”

A Lextan spokesman said: “We are sad to confirm that a customer died in our Fforestfach salon on Saturday 28 May.

“We offer our condolences to the family and friends of the deceased and have also offered advice to all affected employees.

“We are cooperating with the investigation of this case by South Wales Police and any further inquiries should be directed to them at this time.”

Police called the salon by paramedics at 4:05 p.m., but Piata was pronounced dead the same day.

Detective Inspector Gareth Jones of South Wales Police said: “South Wales Police were called by the Welsh Ambulance Service at around 4.05pm on Saturday 28 May following reports that the body of a woman had been found in a commercial building on Carmarthen Road , Fforestfach, had been found.

“Emergency services attended and found the body of a woman in her 30s.

“It is believed that there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding her death.”

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