A 16-year-old British girl has died following a boat accident in the Dominican Republic. Abbie Lainton, from Swindon, Wiltshire, was on a family holiday when a tourist boat she was aboard burst into flames.
Lainton suffered extensive burns and died in hospital three days after the incident, which occurred on July 30. The tragedy also left her two siblings, Carley and Bradley, with injuries, and they are currently receiving medical treatment. The boat was reportedly carrying 35 tourists when the explosion occurred.
According to reports, a "pop" was heard before the vessel accelerated and then caught fire as it returned from Saona Island. A fundraising page established for Lainton's family stated that she died in a "terrible accident" while looking forward to receiving her GCSE results.
Abbie Lainton was a keen athlete and coach, participating in cheerleading for Swindon Lightning Cheerleading Club and previously training at the Tanwood School for Performing Arts. Her former clubs and neighbors have paid tribute to her.
Swindon Lightning Cheerleading Club described her as a "beautiful athlete and coach" whose "kindness, infectious smile, unwavering encouragement and love for cheerleading touched the lives of so many." The Tanwood School for Performing Arts remembered her for performing with a "huge smile" and "beautiful feet."
The Foreign Office has confirmed it is providing consular support to the family of the British teenager and is assisting other British nationals affected by the incident. Officials are in contact with local authorities.
One neighbor described the family as "nice" and expressed shock at the news, stating, "It's extremely, extremely upsetting."