The family of a London-based couple found dead beside a hot tub at a luxury villa in Spain have spoken publicly for the first time, describing the loss of Thomasina and Patrick Tobin as leaving "an immeasurable void" in the lives of those who loved them. Investigators believe the pair, who were holidaying with their two teenage sons in Cullera, Valencia, may have died from "suction entrapment", where a powerful vacuum pull from a hot tub drain traps a person underwater, with Mrs Tobin possibly dying while trying to rescue her husband. The case matters both as a family tragedy and as a potential safety warning about hot tub mechanisms in rental properties.

Mrs Tobin, 51, a quantity surveyor from Co Monaghan, Ireland, and Mr Tobin, 48, originally from New Zealand and working in tech, were discovered by their sons, aged 14 and 16, on 25 August. Post-mortem examinations ruled out foul play and found no signs of forced entry, though marks and scratches were noted on both bodies along with blood in the hot tub's cloudy water; suction marks were reportedly more pronounced on Mr Tobin. Tests are continuing to confirm whether excessive suction from the hydro-massage mechanism caused the deaths, with the family requesting donations to the Kevin Bell repatriation fund in lieu of other tributes.