Real Christmas Eve disaster!!
The British father and his two children who drowned in a Costa del Sol swimming pool have today been named. Gabriel Diya, 52, his daughter Comfort Diya, nine, and his son Praise-Emmanuel Diya, 16, died at the Club La Costa World complex in Spain on Christmas Eve. Mr Diya, who was a Christian pastor in south-east London, and his daughter are both understood to be British while his son was travelling on a US passport. His wife Olubunmi Diya, 49, and younger daughter Favour Diya, 14, were also on the holiday but were unharmed. It is feared that the family could have fallen victim to a suction problem which made it impossible for the nine-year-old girl's father and brother to rescue her after she got into difficulties.
Today it was revealed that police divers had found her swimming cap as they investigate the Christmas tragedy. But the exact circumstances of their deaths remained a mystery this morning as resort chiefs said they had been given permission to reopen the pool and insisted a police investigation had found 'no concerns' with it. Mr Diya was a pastor at Open Heavens London in Charlton, south-east London, which is part of a network called the Redeemed Christian Church of God. No-one from the organisation was immediately available to comment.
Autopsies performed at Malaga's Institute of Forensic Medicine have confirmed that the British father and his two children died by drowning. Pathologists found no signs of any external injuries, or evidence they had been poisoned, during the examinations. Medical experts have also found nothing pointing to nine-year-old Comfort's sister Favour suffering any chlorine poisoning. The 14-year-old was examined after police were told she had been swimming with her younger sister shortly before the Christmas Eve drama unfolded. Police said yesterday ahead of the autopsies that they were keeping an open mind and 'all options' were being examined.
Comfort's parents are understood to have found the nine-year-old in difficulties under the water after rushing to the pool when the older girl returned to their holiday apartment alone and they quizzed her on her sister's whereabouts. Mr Diya and his 16-year-old son Praise Emmanuel jumped in the water in a failed bid to save her which ended with them also drowning, it is believed.
Yesterday a witness told how mother Olubunmi 'stayed calm' and prayed as he performed CPR with resort staff on the three tourists. Father-of-three Josias Fletchman, from Manchester, said in a moving account of how he tried to save them:
'The mum was praying for them to come back to life. 'She was calm. She was touching their bodies. She continued praying even after the ambulance people arrived and had stopped trying to revive them. 'She exercised her faith to the limit. I was performing CPR on her husband but I'm a believer and I prayed as well. 'She strengthened me in the way she reacted. It just wasn't meant to be.'
Reports say a resort worker who dived into the water to recover the three bodies has said he had also experienced difficulties reaching the surface and exiting the pool. But late last night resort chiefs said the Civil Guard, the police force leading the investigation into the triple tragedy, had given them permission to reopen the pool. The pool is one of several on the sprawling holiday complex but was being little used because it was not heated like some others. Resort operator CLC World Resorts and Hotels put out a statement which said:
'All at Club La Costa World resort are devastated by the tragedy that unfolded on Christmas Eve where a father and his two children were found unresponsive in a swimming pool and despite the best efforts of our first response team and the emergency services, could not be revived.
'The Guardia Civil have carried out a full investigation which found no concerns relating to the pool in question or procedures in place, which leaves us to believe this was a tragic accident which has left everyone surrounding the incident in shock. 'Naturally our primary concern remains the care and support of the remaining family members. 'We would therefore request that their privacy be respected at this traumatic time.'
They also confirmed the Civil Guard had authorised the reopening of the pool, indicating that police feel there is no risk to bathers of a repeat of the Christmas Eve horror.
Culled From Daily Mail U.K.
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