Spanish police are investigating the deaths of a couple, Patrick and Thomasina Tobin, who were found dead in a hot tub at a luxury villa they were renting on the Mediterranean coast. Investigators believe the pair, both from London, may have fallen victim to "suction entrapment," a rare phenomenon where powerful suction from a pool or hot tub drain traps a person underwater.
Patrick Tobin, 48, and Thomasina Tobin, 51, were discovered by their teenage children on Tuesday last week at Villa Luna, a property on the Cap Blanc residential estate in Cullera, approximately 25 miles south of Valencia. The villa is described as a three-bedroom property on a gated complex and reportedly costs £2,000 per week to rent.
Post-mortem examinations revealed marks and scratches on both bodies, as well as blood in the hot tub's cloudy water and a strong chemical smell. Police reports indicated suction marks were present on both victims, with those on Mr. Tobin being more pronounced, leading investigators to theorize he may have been pulled under first. A source close to the investigation suggested one of the pair may have encountered difficulties due to an excessive suction force from the hot tub's hydro-massage mechanism, with the other losing their life during a rescue attempt.
Foul play has been ruled out, with no signs of forced entry or suspicious activity noted on local CCTV. While initial reports suggested conflicting accounts regarding who attempted to rescue whom, police have yet to provide definitive clarification. Initial examinations also considered electrocution as a possibility, but this has since been dismissed.
Thomasina Tobin was a quantity surveyor working at the London consultancy firm Turner and Townsend, specializing in the high-end hotels industry. She had been in the UK for 30 years, having previously run her own surveying firm and served as a partner in another before heading the hotels division at her current company, where she worked on projects including The Ritz. Her father was a former director for Irish broadcaster RTÉ and a prominent goalkeeper.
Patrick Tobin worked in the tech industry in London. The couple had arrived at Villa Luna on August 22 for a two-week holiday and were scheduled to return to the UK on September 6.
Their children, aged 16 and 14, alerted the property owner who lived nearby, leading to police being called. Family members from Ireland were contacted and traveled to Spain to care for the children. Both the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed they were providing consular assistance to the families.
A spokesperson for Colina del Sol, the operator of Villa Luna, expressed condolences to the affected family and stated that the resort has a long history of safe operation and maintains high standards. They indicated that they are awaiting the conclusion of the official investigation and would make no further comment out of respect for the victims' families.