Family says Brit kids who drowned on ‘dream' Spain holiday went swimming every day
Two siblings who tragically drowned on a 'dream' holiday were 'water babies' who went swimming every day, a close relative has said.
Ameiya, 13, and Ricardo Junior Parris, 11, were pulled from the water at Llarga Beach in Salou, Spain on Tuesday evening after getting into difficulty in strong currents. The brother and sister were pronounced dead a short time later. Their father, 31-year-old Ricardo Parris, 31, was also rushed to hospital after swimming out to try and save his children. He was rescued from the water unconscious, and has since been discharged from hospital after suffering a concussion.
The two children from Birmingham - known to family and friends as 'Maya' and 'Jubs' - had been on holiday with their parents and four other siblings.
Now, their auntie Kayla Delbrocco has told of how the kids had spent "every day" of the holiday in the sea, and had always been good at swimming.
She said to The Sun: "It was supposed to be a special day - the kids love the beach, they go every day.
"They've always been water babies - they'd been in every day. We had gone on holiday together there six years ago, so they were excited to go back and knew what to expect."
Dad Ricardo had taken the siblings for one final swim while Shanice, a full-time mother and former teaching assistant, took the rest of the children back to Hotel Best Negresco, where they were staying.
A hotel worker spotted the children struggling in the water from reception and had called for help.
When Shanice returned to the beach, the ambulances and police cars were already there, and Junior was taken away in a helicopter.
Family members flew out on Wednesday to comfort Ricardo and Shanice. The younger siblings - Cassius, six, Cleopatra, five, Asher, three, and Exodus, almost one - have been told.
A GoFundMe page set up to support the family and help repatriate Ameiya and Ricardo's bodies has now raised over £43,000.
In a tribute to the "beautiful, bright, and deeply loved" children, cousin Holly Marquis-Johnson wrote: "Maya was intelligent, thoughtful, and growing into a strong young woman. Ricardo Junior was playful, kind, and always smiling.
"They brought so much love, laughter, and energy into the lives of everyone around them. Their absence has left an unbearable silence not just for their parents, but for their whole family, who were incredibly close and shared an unbreakable bond."
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are supporting the family of two British children who have died in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities."
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