There was ‘no proof’ two children and their church minister father who drowned on holiday in front of the rest of their family could swim, an inquest heard.
Comfort Diya, nine, her brother, Praise-Emmanuel, 16, and their father, Gabriel, 52, all died after Comfort ‘got into difficulty’ in a pool at the Club La Costa World resort in Spain.
Praise-Emmanuel and Gabriel jumped in to help, while Comfort’s other sister, Favour, 14, threw a lifebuoy into the water in a bid to save them, Croydon Coroner’s Court heard.
Tragically, the bodies of all three family members ended up at the bottom of the pool and, despite receiving CPR, they all died ‘within minutes of each other’, the court was told.
Favour and heartbroken mother Olubumni Diya both witnessed the horror from the side of the pool.
Coroner John Taylor told the court that there were ‘slightly conflicting versions’ of the tragic events that unfolded in the resort around 20 miles from Malaga in southern Spain.
He said: ‘Some say that Comfort was in the pool and got into difficulty; some say she had difficulty getting out of the pool.
‘There is no dispute that a lifebuoy was thrown to her and no dispute that her brother and father jumped in to help her.
‘Mrs Diya was not able to categorically say that any of the three deceased could swim.
‘She said she assumed her husband could swim because he had told stories of swimming in lakes in Nigeria and said the children were taking swimming lessons at the resort.
‘But there was no proof of them being able to swim independently.
He later added in his conclusion: ‘It seems clear they were not accomplished swimmers and there were references to not being able to swim – but I cannot confirm this for sure.’
The court also heard that Mrs Diya believed that there had been a fault with the pool and contacted an investigative reporter from ITN to talk about her suspicions.
Mr Taylor read an email exchange between the two: ‘The reporter wrote: ‘Following my trip to the site, I firmly believe that the owners and the police in Spain are involved in a cover-up.
‘Upon arrival, I was asked for permission to inspect the site, but the owner procrastinated and failed to give an answer.
‘As the area was public, I then walked around the pool, filmed by ITN camera crew.”
Mr Taylor continued: ‘The investigative reporter raised concerns about the pool’s output system, water level, and skimmers.
‘He said: ‘I believe this would have created a tremendous suction which the nine-year-old became entrapped in.
‘Her 16-year-old brother and father then also became entrapped when they bravely tried to save her.’
But Mr Taylor told the court: ‘He has drawn this conclusion without seeing firsthand evidence.’
Club La Costa World denied any negligence and said there was ‘no problem’ with the pool.
Croydon Coroner’s Court also heard that Spanish authorities had sent documents in 2019 which stated that the operation of the pool’s motor was being investigated and tests were being carried out on the water.
‘But in the last four years since the deaths, we have had no information about the outcome of the investigations,’ Mr Taylor said.
Mr Taylor concluded that all three had died from ‘asphyxia due to drowning’.
He added: ‘This must be a terrible tragedy for the family, who were on holiday in Spain in the week leading up to Christmas.’