Pictured: London-based mother, 51, who died alongside her husband in a hot tub while on holiday in Spain – before being found dead by their children
A London-based mother of two, Thomasina Tobin, 51, is believed by Spanish police to have died while trying to save her husband, Patrick Tobin, 48, after he became trapped underwater in a hot tub at a luxury villa in Cullera, Valencia. The couple's bodies were discovered by their two teenage sons, who have special needs, after the boys searched the property and raised the alarm with a neighbour. Investigators believe the deaths were accidental, caused by "suction entrapment" from the hot tub's drain, and the case has drawn attention given the couple's professional standing in London and the harrowing circumstances of the discovery.
Post-mortem examinations ruled out foul play, with no signs of forced entry or suspicious CCTV footage, though marks, scratches and blood were found near the jacuzzi, and suction marks were more pronounced on Mr Tobin, suggesting he was trapped first and his wife died attempting to free him. Electrocution has been ruled out as a cause. Ms Tobin, originally from Co Monaghan, Ireland, was head of hotels at consultancy firm Turner and Townsend, while Mr Tobin worked in tech; relatives, including an uncle, flew out to Spain within hours to care for the traumatised boys, with Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs and New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs both providing consular assistance.
- Couple found dead in hot tub at Spanish villa by their sons
- Police suspect "suction entrapment"; wife died trying to save husband
- Foul play ruled out; relatives flew out to support traumatised teenagers
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Thomasina Tobin, 51, and her husband Patrick Tobin, 48, were a couple from London who had been holidaying at a villa in Cullera, on Spain's Valencia coast, when they died. Spanish police believe Mr Tobin became trapped underwater in the property's hot tub and that his wife died while trying to free him. The couple's two teenage sons, who have special needs, found their parents' bodies and raised the alarm.
Ms Tobin, who was originally from Co Monaghan in Ireland, worked as head of hotels at the consultancy firm Turner and Townsend, while her husband worked in technology. Investigators have said the deaths appear to be a tragic accident linked to "suction entrapment," where a person can become stuck by the force of a hot tub's drain, and have ruled out foul play and electrocution.
The case has attracted wide attention both because of the couple's professional standing and because of the distressing circumstances in which their children discovered them. Relatives travelled to Spain to support the boys, and consular officials from Ireland and New Zealand have been assisting the family as the investigation continues.