Update On Nigerian Pastor Gabriel Diya, Son & Daughter Who Drown In Swimming Pool In Spain
Brother and sister, 16 and nine, and their church minister father, 52, drowned in swimming pool at Spanish hotel in front of their family as inquest hears there was ‘no proof’ they could swim
Coroner added that there were ‘slightly conflicting versions’ of the tragic events
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 has told the court that there were ‘slightly conflicting versions’ of the tragic events that unfolded in the resort (pictured) 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.
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