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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Antony Thrower & Natalia Penza

British toddler drowns after being pulled from swimming pool in Costa Blanca

A British toddler drowned in a swimming pool in the north of Spain, despite attempts by a neighbour to save his life.

The boy, who has been named as Freddie Joseph Briggs and is believed to be 19-months-old, was pulled from the water on Wednesday evening.

An air ambulance was scrambled to the private pool in Aigues as a neighbour attempted to help.

But efforts to revive him failed and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Aigues Town Hall said: “The news of the death yesterday of the little boy Freddie Joseph Briggs has saddened and moved locals living in Aigues.

“As a show of our pain and solidarity with the child’s parents and other relatives, we are declaring three days of mourning starting tomorrow."

It is unknown if he was on holiday with his family or lives in Spain.

A police investigation into the tragedy is under way.

A spokesman for a regional government emergency response coordination centre said: “At 6.15pm yesterday we were informed a little boy had been pulled out of a private swimming pool in Aigues.

“We mobilised an air ambulance and a basic life support ambulance.

Have you been affected by this incident? Let us know at webnews@mirror.co.uk

The toddler was found in the swimming pool in Aigues (Google)

“A neighbour performed resuscitation techniques until the medical response teams arrived.

“Once they were there, the medical responders continued with advanced CPR and other resuscitation techniques but they were unable to save the child, a 19-month-old toddler who was pronounced dead at the scene."

Reports suggest the family had recently moved to the area, although it is currently unconfirmed.

A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office added: "We are supporting the family of a British child, who has died in Spain. Our thoughts are with the family at this very sad time."

Yesterday’s tragedy comes on the back of two others in the area involving British nationals.

Expat Ingrid Dale, 67, originally from Dereham in Norfolk, died after being stung by a wasp in a Costa Blanca restaurant on May 9.

The tragedy follows similar deaths in the region (Tripadvisor)

She is said to have gone into anaphylactic shock in front of pals at the bar in the coastal town of Moraira half an hour north of Benidorm.

She died in an ambulance outside the Hill Top Sports Bar & Grill after going into cardiac arrest before she could be taken to hospital.

Friends and well-wishers spoke of their heartbreak over widowed Ingrid’s freak death as it emerged she was at a lunch to help raise funds for Ukrainian families when the tragedy occurred.

Later the same day a British man drowned in a nearby river which had claimed the lives of three other people in the past month as he tried to save his dog.

Former Royal Navy sailor Paul Lebihan, originally from Gateshead, died after getting into difficulties in the river at a beauty spot a short drive from the Costa Blanca resort of Benidorm.

A neighbour tried to help before help arrived (Tripadvisor)

Friends and loved ones later paid tribute to the 24-year-old keen amateur boxer and set up a GoFundMe appeal which has already raised around half its £15,000 goal to help his family bring Paul’s body home and assist with funeral costs.

Earlier this month a young British man drowned in a Spanish river which claimed three other lives in the last month.

The 25-year-old was pulled unconscious from the water near a famous waterfall close to a popular beauty spot called the Fuentes del Algar, a half-hour drive north of Benidorm.

A police source said on Tuesday: "He was swimming and was swept away by the current."

The tragedy occurred on Monday evening. The alarm was sounded around 6pm and a helicopter with firefighters, police and paramedics mobilised as part of the emergency response.

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