A two-year-old British girl drowned in a Spanish villa swimming pool on a summer holiday while her mum SUNBATHED nearby, an inquest heard.
Isabella May Crump was found floating in the water as mother Deborah Ridgway, 27, lay on a sun lounger in 39 C (102 F) degree heat.
The tot – known as ‘Izzy’ – had been warned by Deborah and dad Patrick Crump, 38, not to go in the 25ft (7m) pool without arm bands or adult supervision.
But when Patrick emerged from inside the holiday home he saw his daughter in the water and dived in to pull her out.
Despite efforts to resuscitate her, nothing could be done to save Izzy, from Ludlow, Shrops., and she was pronounced dead when paramedics arrived.
South Shropshire deputy coroner Andrew Barkley described the drowning as a “tragedy” and told Izzy’s devastated parents they would probably never know how she came to be in the water.
He said: ““Clearly she was playing in and around the pool, and appeared to understand she was not allowed in the pool without at least one of her parents or without armbands.
“Exactly how it was she ended up in the pool will, I regret to say, never be known.”
The inquest held at the council chamber in Bridgnorth, Shrops., on Thursday heard that Izzy had been on a week-long holiday in San Miguel de Salinas, Alicante with her parents and older sister.
The family had been staying with Deborah’s grandparents Arthur and Thelma Keeley, who owned the sunshine retreat.
They had spent most of afternoon of August 8 last year around the pool basking in the summer heat – a day before they were due to fly home.
Mr Crump tearfully told the inquest that he and his eldest daughter went inside leaving his wife and Izzy stayed outside for a ‘cuddle’ on the sun lounger.
He said: “The programme we were watching had finished and I said to my daughter ‘right, we need to go and get changed for tea. I will go and see what Debs and Izzy are doing’.
“I went outside and saw Debs on the sun lounger, facing away from the water, and Izzy in the pool.
“Izzy knew she was not supposed to go into the pool without her water wings.”
Deborah added that the toddler had been drilled on safety measures and told to stay away from the water when unsupervised.
She said: “Both of them were told not to go near the pool unless either me or Pat was with them and they were wearing armbands.
“Izzy would even say it back to me.”
The family declined to comment after the inquest but Deborah has paid tribute to her ‘angel’ Izzy on social networking sites.
In a Facebook post on April 1 this year, she said: “There are no words. Miss her so so much. She was so happy but I’m sure she is happy playing in the clouds. Xx”
Speaking at the time of Izzy’s death, a relative said: “The entire family are totally heartbroken.
“We are all totally devastated.
“The brightest light in our lives has been switched off.”
Verdict: Accidental death.
