Ben Pawlowski
THIS is the heartbreaking final photo of two British siblings who drowned off the Catalan coast on Tuesday.
Ameiya, 13, and Ricardo Junior, 11 – known to friends and family as Maya and Jubs – tragically died off Llarga beach in Salou, Tarragona, after getting into trouble while swimming.
The children’s father, Ricardo Senior, entered the water in a frantic attempt to save the brother and sister – but had to be saved by emergency services after being overwhelmed by the choppy waters.
Ameiya and Ricardo, both from Birmingham, had been holidaying with their mother, Shanice Del Brocco, and father when tragedy struck.
No lifeguards were present on the beach at the time of the incident, with emergency services called at 8.47pm local time.
Officials from the Medical Emergency System (SEM), Salou local police, Mossos d’Esquadra and Generalitat Fire Brigade were dispatched to the scene.
READ MORE: Tragedy as two British siblings, aged 11 and 13, drown off Catalunya coast
Emergency personnel performed CPR on the children but they were sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
Family and friends have described the two siblings as ‘beautiful, bright and deeply loved’ children who had been taken ‘far too soon’.
Ameiya was described as ‘intelligent, thoughtful and growing into a strong young woman,’ and Ricardo Junior as ‘playful, kind and always smiling’ in a poignant online tribute.
A GoFundMe page has been launched to support the family, including covering the costs of bringing the siblings back to the UK.
At the time of writing, the fundraiser has raised £8,630.
Jose Luis Gargallo, chief inspector of the local police, said: “When the officers arrived, there were three people with significant difficulties in getting out of the sea.
“All resuscitation manoeuvres were performed on the children, but without success.
READ MORE: How to stay safe at the pool after two children drown on the Costa del Sol in one month
“We did everything possible. We put the father in a safe area and also took the minor and performed resuscitation on him but without success.”
A full investigation is underway.
On the same day, a 54-year-old German national drowned off Cambrils beach.
The incidents bring the total number of fatalities on Catalan beaches this summer to 16 – five more than during the entire summer of 2024.
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