‘In heaven now': Heartbreaking words of six-year-old after siblings, 11 and 13, drowned on ‘last swim' on Spain holiday
Ameiya Del Brocco, 13, and her younger brother Ricardo Junior, 11, tragically died on Tuesday while on holiday at Llarga beach in Salou, near Tarragona.
6
6
6
6
The pair - affectionately known to their loved ones as Maya and Jubs - were swept away by fierce currents as their devastated dad tried to save them.
But their six-year-old brother Casius - who was also on the holiday with the two parents and six children - is now tragically having to process the deaths.
Casius is said to have told his mother: "Did you know Maya and Jubs are in heaven now? Juby went to heaven in a helicopter".
The heartbreaking words were told to the Daily Mail by his aunt Macalia Del Brocco after Ricardo Jnr was airlifted to hospital.
Macalia said: "So that's his understanding of it, which is bittersweet, because that was what he saw.
"And it's beautiful that he thinks that's what happened, but very sadly tragic at the same time."
She said Ameiya and Ricardo Jnr had asked for a final swim on Tuesday after spending the day on the beach and before returning to the hotel for the night.
But the children got into trouble while swimming, with their dad going into the water afterwards to try and save them and being overwhelmed himself.
Emergency crews were called and pulled the trio from the water with Ricardo Snr unconscious having swallowed water.
She said Ricardo Jnr was airlifted to hospital while medics desperately tried to save the father and daughter at their hotel.
Boy, 17, dies on beach after being buried alive in hole in sand he dug
Sadly, the two children could not be revived, but Ricardo Snr pulled through despite swallowing a lot of water.
Macalia paid tribute to her niece and nephew from Erdington, Birmingham.
She said of Ameiya: "She is very, very athletic. Very determined individual. When she wanted something she was adamant she was going to get it. She was very as a character, she was very sarcastic and humorous."
While she said Ricardo Jnr would do "anything" to earn a few extra quid.
6
6
Macalia said: "Junior loved doing odd jobs. Frequently in the neighbor's garden, doing her hedges for her, just to earn a few extra quid. He was quite the Dell Boy."
A GoFundMe page has been launched to support the grieving family, set up by cousin Holly Marquis-Johnson to cover the costs of repatriation and funerals.
Holly wrote: '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.
'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 and giving them the dignified farewell they deserve.
'We know that no amount of money can make this right. But together, we can help carry some of the weight.'
The children's GoFundMe appeal has already raised more than £30,000 of its £15,000 target.
Ameiya and Ricardo's haunting final photo showed them smiling on the sand just hours before the tragedy.
Local officials confirmed a yellow warning flag was flying at the time to signal rough sea conditions.
But lifeguards had clocked off at 8pm — with the alarm raised just before 8.50pm.
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: 'We are supporting the family of two British children who have died in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Telegraph
The Midults: I'm worried I will be left until last for our inheritance
Dear A&E, We are a family of four grown-up children, and our surviving parent has recently died. While some of the bigger pieces of jewellery, furniture and paintings have been itemised in the will, most of the other stuff has been left for us to divide among ourselves. I'm the youngest member of the family – and even though I'm an adult I'm still treated that way – and I'm worried that I'll be left until last when it comes to working out who gets what. None of it is really worth much, but there is lots of sentimental value. How can I avoid this happening? – Apprehensive Dear Apprehensive, This sound brutal but, bear with is, and we'll expand: how do you avoid being treated like 'the baby'? Don't behave like 'the baby'. Just because your older siblings may see you as the little one, does not render you helpless. Get organised. Get kind. Get proactive. And remember, all the while, that stuff is only stuff. We all have roles assigned to us – early – by our families. Eventually, the responsibility lies with us to communicate that these roles or labels are no longer valid, applicable or helpful. And then the responsibility transfers to our family to listen – as much as they are capable of listening. We do well when we remember that people (even the ones we love the most… even the brilliant ones) have limits. And, when we embark on new emotional territory, we can never know when we might hit one of these limits, which could manifest as an emotional landmine, a broad denial or a total avoidance. Life is about context. First of all, do you suppose the oldest might be thinking: 'I'm always treated like the bull-dozing oldest'? Perhaps the middles are thinking, 'We are always cast as the invisible/peace-keeping middles'? While you may see yourself as the one who got all the and-me-downs, they may see you as the indulged baby. Context, you see. A strange part of sibling retrospection – and one which will tend vastly to inform the present – is that, for all your commonality of experience, you have had different childhoods. Siblings have different parents because those parents are constantly moving through their lives and sense of selfhood; their happinesses and sadnesses, while the kids are at varying ages or may have left home or may not yet have been born. For all the 'We don't have favourites' shtick that is bandied around, siblings are parented differently. Much of the time, it is not about being more or less loved. It is because parents are human beings, with all the accompanying frailties. For the good and the bad. Which is to say that all of your siblings will be experiencing something of what you are feeling, from their own different perspectives. It's hard being oldest, middle, youngest, only. And when the second parent goes, and that final barrier between us and the stars is removed… Well. It's a moment. But that is for another column. This is just stuff. Pictures and vases and pill-boxes. Do not confuse what it is worth with what you are worth. Do not confuse sentimental value with your own value, as a person. It would be easy to do but it would also be mad – a very common kind of madness that many of us are afflicted with and one that powerfully animates around death and wills. Please do not see this as some kind of opportunity for Freudian wish-fulfilment – a way to prove your sense of littleness in the family scheme of things. If you sit back and go floppy while the others pick and choose their bits and pieces while inwardly sighing, 'I am the youngest and so I always get the scraps,' you are merely transferring these feelings of smallness on to inanimate objects. This is small stuff – it would be wonderful if you could find some resolve not to sweat it. Why weaponise a side table against yourself? You would just be saying 'I got the least because I am the least.' Work with your siblings to establish a healthy system. Perhaps you have lunch and then go round, choosing one thing, in rotation? Maybe you have different coloured stickers and do deals or toss coins or even share any contested items. Perhaps send an email suggesting this and also saying how important they are to you and recognising that this is a new phase for your family; a time when it becomes your choice to bind together, now that your parents are gone. Someone is bound to be a d--- about this. Forgive them. They have just hit a limit. The best thing you can possibly walk away with is a loving and joyous future with as many of your siblings as is possible. That is the enrichment. That – more than any trinket – is the precious and lasting legacy.
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Sticky prune, pear and ginger cakes with ginger caramel
A variation of my mum's beloved sticky date pudding, these little cakes are all warming spice and soft, cooked fruit. As they're made with wholemeal flour, sticky prunes and pear, I like to kid myself that these are, in fact, healthy muffins. But then I drown them in ginger caramel and a puddle of cream, and that illusion is shattered! On a cold evening these really are heavenly, and I wouldn't even blame you if the leftovers masqueraded as breakfast the next day. The prunes are lovely in this – I actually prefer them to dates. If you're not convinced, just think of them as dried plums. I have often gifted a box of these, along with an accompanying jar of caramel sauce, and they are always well received. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Makes 6 100g unsalted butter, cubed, plus extra to grease185 ml full cream (whole) milk 125g caster sugar 120g pitted prunes, halved1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely diced1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda 2 eggs, lightly beaten1 tsp vanilla bean paste 2 small pears, ripe but firm150g wholemeal flour, plus extra to dust tins3/4 tsp baking powder 3/4 tsp ground ginger 1/8 tsp fine sea salt Ginger caramel sauce100g unsalted butter, cubed165g light brown sugar 200ml single cream, plus extra to serve (optional)1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely diced1/2 tsp flaky sea salt Preheat the oven to 160C fan-forced and grease a large muffin tin (with six 180ml capacity holes) well with softened butter. Line the bases of the holes with circles of baking paper, then dust with a little wholemeal flour, tapping out any excess. Put the butter, milk, sugar, prunes and fresh ginger in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat, stir in the bicarb soda and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. When the mixture has cooled, stir in the eggs and vanilla. Peel and quarter the pears, removing the cores. Cut the quarters into 1–2cm pieces and set aside. Place the flour, baking powder, ground ginger and fine sea salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk together. Make a well in the centre and pour in the cooled prune mixture, along with the pear pieces, stirring gently until just combined. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups. Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes or until the cakes are golden brown and risen, and just a few damp crumbs cling to a skewer when tested. Allow the cakes to cool a little in their tins while you make the ginger caramel sauce. Add the butter, sugar, cream and ginger to a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and stir until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Turn the heat down and let the caramel bubble for 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened, and watching carefully that the caramel doesn't bubble over. Remove from the heat and stir in the flaky sea salt. Carefully turn the warm cakes out of their tins, running a knife around the edges to loosen if necessary. Serve the cakes warm, topped with warm ginger caramel sauce and a puddle of pure (single) cream, if you like. I like to use a skewer to poke holes in the top of the cakes to allow the caramel sauce to really soak in. Any leftover cakes and caramel sauce will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for 2–3 days – just heat gently before serving. This is an edited extract from Handfuls of Sunshine, written and photographed by Tilly Pamment (Murdoch Books: $39.99, out now)
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Dame Stella Rimington, first female director general of MI5, dies aged 90
Dame Stella Rimington, the first female director general of the MI5, has died at the age of 90. The former secret service chief, died 'surrounded by her beloved family and dogs and determinedly held on to the life she loved until her last breath', her family has announced.
