The family of a couple found dead beside a hot tub at a luxury villa in Spain has broken its silence following the tragedy.
Spanish police believe Thomasina Tobin, 51, lost her life while trying to rescue her husband, Patrick Tobin, 48, after he became trapped underwater in the hot tub during their holiday in Colina del Sol, Valencia.
The couple, who had lived and worked in London for several years, were staying at the gated complex, part of the Cap Blanc residential estate in Cullera, when their bodies were found by their two teenage sons at around 5pm on August 25.
The boys, aged 14 and 16 and understood to have special needs, had been searching the villa for their parents before discovering them near the hot tub on the lowest floor and alerting a neighbour.
In a death notice published today, relatives said they were announcing with “profound sadness” the “sudden and tragic passing” of Mrs Tobin, from Co Monaghan in Ireland, and her “beloved husband Patrick (Paddy)”, who was originally from Wellington, New Zealand.
The notice also said Mr Tobin had extended family and friends across Ireland, New Zealand, the UK and beyond.
Thomasina Tobin worked as a quantity surveyor at London consultancy Turner and Townsend
Patrick Tobin, 48, who was originally from New Zealand, worked in London’s tech sector
The luxury hot tub at the £2,000-a-week Spanish villa where the couple were staying with their teenage children
It said: ‘Thomasina and Paddy shared a life filled with love, family and friendship.
‘Their sudden passing has left an immeasurable void in the lives of all who knew and loved them.
‘May they rest in eternal peace together.’
The notice added that funeral arrangements will be announced in due course and that donations can be sent to the Kevin Bell repatriation fund.
Investigators now believe the pair were victims of suction entrapment, which occurs when a powerful vacuum pull from a hot tub drain or swimming pool traps a person’s body, hair, or clothing underwater.
Post-mortem examinations ruled out foul play, and no signs of forced entry or suspicious activity on nearby CCTV cameras were detected.
Marks and scratches found on both bodies as well as blood in the cloudy water of the hot tub and a strong chemical smell were noted by police.
According to media reports in Spain, suction marks were found on both victims but were more pronounced on Mr Tobin.
A source close to the case said: ‘Tests are ongoing but one of the main theories investigators have focused on is that at least one of the pair died after getting into difficulties in the water because of an excessive suction force generated by the hot tub’s hydro-massage mechanism, and the other lost their life during a desperate rescue attempt.’
Mrs Tobin had been working at the London consultancy firm Turner and Townsend as a quantity surveyor in the high-end hotels industry for the past five-and-a-half years.
Police investigating their deaths fear the couple had suffered ‘suction entrapment’, when a powerful vacuum pull from a hot tub drain traps a person’s body, hair or clothing underwater
Postmortem examinations found marks and scratches on both bodies, while police noted blood in the cloudy water of the hot tub and a strong chemical smell
A graduate of Trinity College Dublin, she had worked in the UK for the past 30 years and had run her own quantity surveying firm, as well as serving as a partner in another.
She was then made head of hotels at Turner and Townsend, where she worked on luxury sites including the Ritz.
Her father Tommy McArdle was a director for Irish broadcaster RTE and goalkeeper for the Monaghan senior county football team in the 1950s and 1960s.
Mr Tobin is understood to have worked in the tech industry in London.
Relatives of Mrs Tobin arrived in Spain last Wednesday to comfort the couple’s children.
The children had alerted the property owner who lived nearby and called the police, who then went through contacts in one of their phones and got in touch with family members in Monaghan.
It is understood three relatives including an uncle flew out to care for them and landed at 3am last Wednesday, less than 12 hours after the bodies were found.
The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed it was providing consular assistance, while New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated it was aware of Mr Tobin’s death and was assisting his relatives at home and in the UK.
A spokesman for Colina del Sol told Our News Outlet: ‘We would like to express our deepest condolences to the family affected by this tragic incident at Colina del Sol in Cullera.
Suction marks were found on both victims but were more pronounced on Mr Tobin – leading investigators to believe he may have been pulled under the water first
A room in the Colina del Sol complex in Valencia, where the family was staying
‘Colina del Sol is a holiday resort that has operated for many years without incident for its guests. The resort has always maintained the highest standards of safety and quality.
‘At this stage, we are awaiting the conclusion of the official investigation. We believe it is important to allow the competent authorities to examine the facts and provide an explanation for what happened.
‘Out of respect for the victims’ families, we will make no further comment. Our thoughts are with the family and all those affected by this difficult situation.’
