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Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
National
Orlaith Clinton & Fahad Tariq

Six-year-old Rangers fan drowns in Majorca swimming pool after wandering off for a Coke

A six-year-old boy drowned on a family holiday to Majorca after wandering off to get a drink.

Corey Aughey arrived at the resort just hours before he was found in a swimming pool and rushed to hospital.

The little Rangers fan and family had been looking forward to the all-inclusive break on the holiday island, Belfast Live reports.

READ MORE: Tommy Sheridan's Glasgow mum was 'some wummin' who fought for a better world

He'd been excited about being able to get "free Coke" when he wanted, and wandered off from his parents and siblings last summer

A stranger at the scene gave Corey CPR and he regained pulse before he was rushed to intensive care on the other side of the island.

It looked as though Corey was improving following a couple of nights in hospital but hope was shattered as tests on the third day showed that the youngster had no brain activity.

Corey's parents Colin and Leanne sought a second opinion on their youngest son's health but they came back with the same prognosis and he sadly died a short time later.

The schoolboy's death stunned the local community in the tight-knight Belfast neighbourhood

Dad Colin described his son as the "life and soul of the party".

He said: "Corey was a great wee child. The best way to describe him would be a bundle of energy.

"We have a 22-year-old who is at university in Spain, an 18-year-old, a 13-year-old and then our Corey, who had more energy that the other three put together.

"When he passed, that is what everyone remembered him by, just being the life and soul of the party, he never stopped. You'd be at a birthday party and he would be the last one dancing."

The family of six had landed in Majorca on the Thursday morning and had already had a splash in the pool before Colin went for a nap.

Leanne and the three youngest children - the eldest was meeting them at a later time - made the most of the last hour of the swimming pool before Corey went to get a drink.

Colin recalled that he "thought it was great he could get free Coke" during the all-inclusive holiday but he did not return, only to be found in the pool.

He said: "We were only there around three hours. The five of us went and the oldest son was coming to meet us, because he was in Spain.

"We got there on the Thursday morning, checked in and went to the pool. We then had something to eat, and I went up for a doze. There was only about an hour left of the pool being open, so Leanne brought the kids round to the back pool.

"He would have been running over to the wee drink machine - we were all inclusive so he thought it was great he could get free Coke. Corey was found in the pool, and was taken out and people were working on him at the poolside. A guy called Matt, from Manchester, done the CPR. They worked on him and they did get a pulse back.

"The ambulance came and took him to the hospital, but we were at opposite sides of the island, so it was a long drive. On the Friday and Saturday, some of my friends came over to us and got the other kids and brought them home.

"On the Saturday, we had a bit of hope for Corey, we thought it was getting better, but on the Sunday, tests showed no brain activity whatsoever. We did seek a second opinion, and that came back the same. The machines were keeping the wee man going - he died on the Sunday.

"We flew back on the Thursday with Corey. Back home to Belfast."

Beautiful little Corey was adored by his family (Belfast Live)

Colin hailed the local community, who set up a GoFundMe page in Corey's name, for their generosty and the family now want to give back through a charity.

He added: "I used to own a carpet shop on the Shankill, so I would have had this wee army of people in the area.

"They came up with flowers, and bingo clubs were hosting events for us. There was a lot of money raised for us, through a Go Fund Me page, while we were still over there. We want to now give back, through a charity.

"Corey loved his superheroes, he was just so innocent. He was always talking about heroes, so through the Corey Aughey Foundation, he will be a hero."

Corey's parents hope to officially launch a charity in his honour.

They have applied to set up the Corey Aughey Foundation in his honour to raise money to help children learn how to swim and to give back to charities such as the Air Ambulance NI and Children's Hospice.

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