This is the haunting final photo of a brother and sister who drowned in the sea while on holiday in Spain – after the beach’s lifeguards had gone home for the day.
Ameiya, 13, and 11-year-old Ricardo – known affectionately as Maya and Jubs – were pulled from the sea in Salou after getting into difficulty in the water, despite their father’s frantic attempt to save them.
The children, from Birmingham, were pictured smiling on Llarga Beach, where they had been holidaying with their parents, Shanice Del Brocco and Ricardo Sr, just hours before the disaster unfolded on Tuesday evening.
Local officials confirmed a yellow warning flag had been flying at the time to signal rough sea conditions – but lifeguards had finished their shift at 8pm, with the alarm raised just before 8.50pm.
Their father, Ricardo Sr, dived in to try and save them, but all three soon became overwhelmed by the rough conditions. Rescuers pulled them from the water and carried out CPR on the sand. Ricardo was successfully resuscitated, but the children could not be saved.
Chief Inspector José Luis Gargallo, from the local police, said: ‘When the officers arrived, there were three people with significant difficulties in getting out of the sea. All resuscitation manoeuvres were performed on the children, but without success.’
He added: ‘We did everything possible. We put the father in a safe area and also took the minor and performed resuscitation on him but without success.’
A GoFundMe page launched by family friend Holly Marquis-Johnson described Maya and Jubs as ‘beautiful, bright, and deeply loved’ children who had been taken ‘far too soon’.
Ricardo and Ameiya – known affectionately as Jubs and Maya – drowned in the sea while on holiday in Spain
A British brother and sister, 11 and 13, tragically lost their lives after getting into trouble while swimming in the water off Llarga beach in Salou, Tarragona, on Tuesday night
Previous reports claimed it was two brothers who had lost their lives, but officials confirmed this afternoon the dead children were a girl and a boy
In a heartbreaking online tribute, it said: ‘Nothing could ever prepare a parent for the pain of losing a child let alone losing two.
‘During what was meant to be a joyful family holiday in Salou, Spain, Ameiya and Ricardo Junior, lovingly known to their family and friends as Maya and Jubs, heartbreakingly lost their lives in a tragic incident at sea.
‘Two beautiful, bright, and deeply loved children, taken far too soon. The pain their family is feeling is unimaginable.
‘Maya was intelligent, thoughtful, and growing into a strong young woman. Ricardo Junior was playful, kind, and always smiling. They brought so much love, laughter, and energy into the lives of everyone around them.
‘Their absence has left an unbearable silence not just for their parents, but for their whole family, who were incredibly close and shared an unbreakable bond.’
It continued: ‘Their mum and dad, Shanice and Ricardo, are absolutely heartbroken. But they’re not grieving alone. Their siblings, cousins, aunties, uncles, grandparents, and close friends are all devastated by this loss.
‘Maya and Jubs were surrounded by a family who adored them, and who are now left trying to make sense of life without them.’
The appeal adds: ‘This fundraiser has been created to help ease some of the financial burden the family is now facing – covering the costs of bringing Maya and Jubs home to the UK, giving them the dignified farewell they deserve, and supporting their parents and loved ones during this incredibly painful time.
The siblings (pictured) were pulled from the sea in Salou after getting into difficulty in the water
The siblings were described as ‘beautiful, bright, and deeply loved’ children who had been taken ‘far too soon’ by a family friend
Inspector Jose Luis Gargallo, head of Salou’s local police force, said the initial 112 call received pointed to three people drowning
‘We know that no amount of money can make this right. But together, we can help carry some of the weight. If you’re able to donate, even a small amount, or simply share this page, it would mean the world. Every act of kindness, every share, every kind word truly helps.
‘Please keep Maya, Jubs, Shanice, Ricardo, and their entire family in your hearts as they face the unimaginable. Thank you so much for your support.’
By Thursday afternoon, the fundraiser had reached over £3,000 of its £15,000 target.
The children’s mother is understood to work as a teaching assistant in Birmingham. Friends and relatives have been left in shock by the tragedy, which has sent ripples through the local community.
Spanish authorities say a full investigation is under way.
Rescuers yesterday described the harrowing moment they found the British brother and sister dead and their exhausted father alive in the stormy seas off the Spanish beach.
Previous reports claimed it was two brothers who had lost their lives, but officials confirmed yesterday afternoon the dead children were a girl and a boy.
Inspector Gargallo said on Wednesday the initial 112 call received pointed to three people drowning.
Footage published locally yesterday showed a helicopter flying above the beach where a white tent had been erected on the sand to shield the bodies of the two children
Emergency services were still at the scene after nightfall before court workers authorised the removal of their bodies so they could be taken to a nearby morgue for post-mortems to take place. Authorities shared an aerial view of the beach in Tarragona
The authorities said the deaths marked the 15th and 16th fatalities on Catalan beaches since the summer campaign officially began on June 15 (stock image)
He said: ‘Local police rushed to the scene and saw that there were indeed three people who were really struggling to get out of the water.
‘It was a father with his son and his daughter, all British.
‘When the youngsters, the boy and girl aged 11 and 13, were brought out of the water they had no vital signs and all the resuscitation efforts to save them proved unsuccessful.
‘The father could be saved. He had swallowed a lot of water and he was exhausted but could be saved thanks to the intervention of the emergency medical responders and police.
‘We’re talking about a family with five children and the mum was in the nearby hotel where they were staying with the other three children.
‘The father was with the two children that died.
‘All day a yellow flag had been out at that beach so there was a danger of a stormy sea which is why the yellow flag was out.
‘When the tragedy happened the sea was the same as two or three hours before so it was a stormy sea.
‘That’s why you have to be careful with the sea. The beach where this happened 99 per cent of the time offers perfect bathing conditions, it’s a very calm sea normally.
‘Yesterday it wasn’t like that at this beach or at other beaches in the area. Just a few hours earlier another person had died in very similar conditions.’
He added: ‘The lifeguards are on duty at the beach where these British youngsters died until 8pm. They start work at 9.30am.
‘Unfortunately this alert came in at 8.48pm so 48 minutes after the lifeguard service had finished.
‘This has been an accident but as always with these sorts of accidents, a thorough investigation will take place to see if there are things that can be improved and if they can there will be improvements.’
He also said local police officers jumped into the sea to try to save the children.
One of the officers, identified only by his first name and the initial of his surname as Younes A, said: ‘A hotel worker was trying to get one of the three out of the sea when we arrived.
‘We were told when we helped get that person out that another two people were in the sea who could be minors.
‘We tried to locate them, saw bits of clothes and seconds later were able to locate and get a young girl out of the water and began resuscitation and another police force was the one responsible for getting the other child out of the sea.
‘When the emergency services arrived they took over the efforts to save them until they said they couldn’t do anything more.
‘We don’t know the circumstances leading up to them getting into difficulties.
‘I leapt into the water with two other colleagues to get the father to safety first before going back to rescue one of the children.’
He added: ‘There were waves and wind. It was dangerous. There was a lot of swell.’
Footage published locally yesterday showed a helicopter flying above the beach where a white tent had been erected on the sand to shield the bodies of the two children.
Emergency services were still at the scene after nightfall before court workers authorised the removal of their bodies so they could be taken to a nearby morgue for post-mortems to take place.
The authorities said the deaths marked the 15th and 16th fatalities on Catalan beaches since the summer campaign officially began on June 15.
The figure ‘already exceeds by five those registered in the same period last summer’.
Last summer, 11 deaths were reported on Catalan beaches.
