A media story was released at Christmas, telling the sad story of a nine-year-old girl getting into trouble in the pool at a Costa del Sol, Spain resort. Her father and brother jumped in to help her and all three family members drowned, while the mother ran to get help.

Expert divers with Spain’s Civil Guard had thoroughly examined the pool after the incident and had passed it as being in order, showing nothing that could have caused the family members to drown. However, the young girl’s swim cap was found in the pool pump.

As noted by the BBC, the general news was that the three family members, Gabriel Diya, 52, Praise-Emmanuel Diya, 16 and Comfort Diya, 9, were unable to swim and that this was why all three drowned.

Their mother, Olubunmi Diya is strongly denying that her family was unable to swim and says there is “something wrong with the pool” at the Club La Costa World resort near Fuengirola in Spain.

Father, son and daughter could swim

Following an extensive investigation, the Spanish police had concluded that Diya, his son and daughter were unable to swim. It was also concluded that Comfort had got into trouble while swimming and that her father and son had got “out of their depth” in the pool.

According to managers at the Club La Costa World resort, the swimming pool on the property was “working normally” at the time of the incident.

The Spanish media had quoted another of the Diyas’ daughters as saying her father, sister and brother could not swim. Mrs Diya denies this, saying they had never said that to the police and that all three could, indeed, swim.

Possible problem with the pool?

Mrs Diya went on to say she believes there was a problem with the pool at the time of the tragic incident, which must have led to her family members dying.

Mrs Diya denied that Comfort had fallen into the pool and had entered the pool in a normal way, while the family watched on. She further said Gabriel Diya entered the pool via the steps to go to the aid of her two children, while she ran to nearby apartments to ask for help and find someone who could assist her husband. However, by the time help arrived, all three were drowned.

Club La Costa World issued a further statement to the effect that “diligent and exhaustive” investigations by the police into the incident had confirmed that there was no problem with the pool and that everything was working normally at the time. They went on to offer their sympathies again to the family during a “stressful and desperately upsetting time.”

A civil guard spokesman confirmed their divers had retrieved the young girl’s swimming cap from the pool pump, but that there investigators found nothing out of the ordinary with the pool, which is now in use again.

Police also confirmed no lifeguards were available at the pool as it is small and this was not really necessary, especially out of the summer season.

According to a report by the Daily Mail, Mrs Diya has hired a lawyer to look into the incident, but gave no more information about this fact..

The Diya family

Gabriel Diya, 52, worked as a pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God in London. The church described him in a tribute as being a “loving husband and devoted father.” The church’s statement on Facebook also described Gabriel as being a friendly, humble and committed pastor.

Mrs Diya said the family is “utterly heartbroken” on losing their family members and that they are “deeply shocked and saddened.”
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