A sea burial which resulted in the body of a mother-of-four being washed ashore was carried out correctly, says Government?s Chief Medical Officer.

Dr. John Cann said that although he could not clarify how or why Deborah Elizabeth Santucci Smith?s body was washed ashore on Monday, he was satisfied the undertaker who carried out her burial the previous day took ?all reasonable precautions and had conducted the burial in accordance with proper rules and regulations?.

The 48-year-old was discovered by a visitor at The Reefs? private beach in Southampton at about noon on Monday.

Mrs. Smith, a widow and grandmother-of-five, was buried at sea after a funeral at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Southampton.

The Department of Health had issued a special licence under Section 123 of the Public Health Act 1949 for the sea burial, which is believed to have been carried out by Amis Memorial Chapels of Warwick.

The licence requires bodies that are buried in the ocean to be properly weighted, secured and buried in not less than 100 fathoms (600 feet) of water.

About ten sea burials are carried out each year in Bermuda, though most involve the scattering of ashes, according to the Department of Health.

Dr. Cann said on Tuesday that he had reviewed the circumstances surrounding Mrs. Smith?s burial. ?I am satisfied that the undertaker did all that he was supposed to do,? he said.

He added that this was the only time in recent memory that a properly buried body had washed ashore and that although the cause was not known on this occasion, he would continue to review the procedure to see if any changes needed to be made to the Act.

Police confirmed the identity of the body to the media on Tuesday morning. Bermuda Police Service spokesman Dwayne Caines said Mrs. Smith, of South Road, Southampton, was identified by next of kin.

?The Bermuda Police Service extends its sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased,? he said.

He added that inquiries into the sea burial were under way though no complaint had been received.

?An inquiry means we are looking into the matter to see if there is room for an investigation. Inquiries are ongoing.?

Funeral director Leon Amis did not respond to repeated calls from .

Funeral director Colin Pearman, of Pearman Funeral Home, said sea burials were relatively common on the Island but he had never heard of a body being washed ashore before.

?This is the first time we have heard of anything like this.?

Mr. Pearman, who was not involved in Mrs. Smith?s sea burial, said: ?The boats that go out have a depth-sounder so you can watch and see the depth as you travel.?

He added that bodies were usually placed in a rubber pouch or canvas bag covered with holes and that weights were added to ensure the body sank.

?The weight probably will not make that much difference,? he said. ?The whole idea is to get the air out of the container and the water in.?

In the UK last year, a coroner called for sea burials to be banned because of the number of bodies being washed ashore. Isle of Wight coroner John Matthews said about two corpses were washed up each year on the island, wasting police and pathologists? time and public money.

Federal law in the US states that all sea burials must take place three nautical miles offshore.