24 Dec, 2019 @ 22:25
1 min read

How pool drains can kill following shocking death of three British family members at resort on Spain’s Costa del Sol

Pool Drain
POTENTIAL DANGER: Pool drains

NEWS readers around the world have been left shocked and confused after three members of the same family drowned in a swimming pool earlier today. 

It comes after a British girl, 9, reportedly came into trouble at the La Costa Club Resort in Fuengirola before her brother and father, 52, jumped in to save her – before both drowning themselves.

The tragic incident took place at around 1.30pm today before witnesses described seeing three bodies covered in white sheets and a ‘woman crying loudly.’

SCENE: British girl and two other family members drowned at Club la Costa resort ©theOlivePress

But how could something like this happen?

There is no official confirmation on the cause of the deaths yet and autopsies are expected to be carried out tomorrow.

However some sources have said there may have been an issue with the pump or drain.

If a drain on the bottom of a swimming pool is flat, it can be extremely dangerous.

As ABC in the US reported back in 2010: “The vacuum effect in pool drains is powerful enough to hold swimmers, especially children, to the bottom of a pool.

“Contact between human skin and a flat pool drain can create suction equal to hundreds of pounds of pressure.

“In one horrific instance, four adult men were unable to pull a young girl from the grasp of a deadly drain. Swimmers can die from drowning or evisceration.

Pool Drain
POTENTIAL DANGER: Pool drains

“From 1999 to 2008, according to CPSC data, there were 83 reports of suction entrapment, including 11 deaths and 69 injuries. Experts say the number of deaths and injuries may be much higher, however, because police and medical records don’t always list specific causes for drowning.”

The suction from a drain can equal up to 700 pounds of pressure.

There is, however, no official suggestion that a pool drain is behind today’s tragic incident.

CLC World Resorts & Hotels, which manages the resort, told the Olive Press: “Management at Club La Costa World resort would like to offer its heartfelt condolences to the family affected by the loss of three family members on December 24 2019.

“The guests were found unresponsive in one of the resort’s pools.

“First response teams and emergency services attended and administered first aid.

“The management are assisting the authorities fully with their investigation into the deaths.

“We would like to thank our first response team and the emergency services for their quick and appropriate responses and our staff for the continuing support of the family at this time.”

Did you witness the incident today? Contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es 

Laurence Dollimore

Laurence Dollimore is a Spanish-speaking, NCTJ-trained journalist with almost a decade’s worth of experience.
The London native has a BA in International Relations from the University of Leeds and and an MA in the same subject from Queen Mary University London.
He earned his gold star diploma in multimedia journalism at the prestigious News Associates in London in 2016, before immediately joining the Olive Press at their offices on the Costa del Sol.
After a five-year stint, Laurence returned to the UK to work as a senior reporter at the Mail Online, where he remained for two years before coming back to the Olive Press as Digital Editor in 2023.
He continues to work for the biggest newspapers in the UK, who hire him to investigate and report on stories in Spain.
These include the Daily Mail, Telegraph, Mail Online, Mail on Sunday and The Sun and Sun Online.
He has broken world exclusives on everything from the Madeleine McCann case to the anti-tourism movement in Tenerife.

GOT A STORY? Contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es or call +34 951 273 575 Twitter: @olivepress

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