Shropshire toddler dies falling into pool on family holiday
A two-year-old girl from Ludlow has died after drowning whilst on holiday with her family in Spain.
Isabella May Crump fell into the pool at the villa home of her great grandparents in San Miguel de Salinas, in the resort of Torrevieja, south of Alicante on Wednesday afternoon. Family members made frantic efforts to resuscitate her before the arrival of paramedics.
Her grandfather, who did not wish to be named, said: "We are all totally devastated. The brightest light in our lives has been switched off.
"We need time as a family unit to console each other and to make arrangements to bring our little one back to the UK.
"We are liaising with the British Consular in sorting out all the arrangements. We would ask people to leave us alone to do this. This has just been the most tragic of circumstances and we need time to grieve."
Isabella's parents Deborah Ridgway and her partner Patrick Crump flew to Spain for a week's holiday with other family members, staying at the home of Deborah's grandparents at San Miguel de Salinas on the Costa Blanca.
The grandfather, speaking from Spain today, said the family had spent Wednesday together by the pool at the villa.
"Towards the end of the afternoon, all of the family had all gone back inside. At some point, Izzy has gone back outside unknown to everybody. She was only out of sight for a matter of moments.
"She was found her in the pool and couldn't be revived. The entire family are totally heartbroken."
He added that some media reports saying Izzy's mother was asleep in a hammock nearby at the time, were totally inaccurate and had caused added distress. "These reports are untrue. The whole family, including Deborah and Izzy, had gone back inside."
The family holiday was due to end yesterday and several members have now returned to the UK. The others will bring Izzy home to Ludlow in south Shropshire, as soon as arrangements have been concluded with the Spanish authorities.
