Heartbreaking words boy, 6, told aunt after his siblings drowned during Spain holiday
A six-year-old boy told his aunt his brother has "went to heaven in a helicopter" after the sibling and his sister drowned during a family holiday in Spain.
During a conversation Casius Del Brocco had with his aunt Macalia, the little boy said: "Did you know Maya and Jubs are in heaven now? Juby went to heaven in a helicopter," a reflection Macalia described as "bittersweet". The poignant chat happened days after Ameiya and Ricardo Del Brocco - known affectionately as Maya and Jubs - died after getting into difficulty in the sea in Salou, Spain.
The tragedy, towards the end of the family's "first big holiday abroad", happened after Ameiya, 13, and 11-year-old Ricardo had begged their parents for "one last swim" but succumbed to the rough conditions. Their dad, Ricardo Snr, jumped in the water in a desperate bid to save his eldest children but neither he, or emergency services, could revive the youngsters.
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A team of psychologists has been sent to help the family, who are believed to to still be at their hotel near Llarga Beach. Macalia, 46, told reporters how the tragedies have affected each of the family members, including the four other siblings. The oldest of these is Casius, who spoke to his aunt in the wake of the deaths.
Speaking to Mail Online, the aunt said: "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.
"Hotel staff have been coming in and collecting the children and taking them down to the club and discos keep them occupied and just keep it normal holiday for them. So it still feels holiday-esque for the little ones, even though we know that it's not quite that."
But the deaths have particularly hit 31-year-old Ricardo Snr hard, having witnessed the struggles. His sister-in-law continued: "Ricardo is feeling, obviously, very pained because he was in the water with them, so that's going to be hitting him hard.
"That's not going to disappear from his mind. It's going to be a lot of trauma mentally for him to deal with. But families pull together, and there will be support all the way around."
The family, of Birmingham, is now waiting for the bodies to be flown to the UK, which could take two weeks. A GoFundMe page has been created to help achieve this, and more than £18,000 has been raised so far.
Paying tribute to the siblings, Macalia described their inseparable bond and adoration for another. She said: "They would fight like cat and dog at times, but they adored each other.
"Maya was about to go into year nine. Very, very bright girl, even when we think she's not doing her homework, she obviously is, because her report we got at the end of summer was amazing.
"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."
To donate to the GoFundMe page, visit this link.
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STV News
21 hours ago
- STV News
British brother and sister who drowned off beach in Spain named
A British brother and sister who both drowned off a beach in Spain have been named in reports, with more than £24,000 donated to a fundraising page set up in their honour. Ameiya and Ricardo Junior Del-Brocco, aged 13 and 11 respectively, died after getting into difficulty in the sea during a family holiday in Salou, near Tarragona, on Tuesday evening. Their father, Ricardo, had also entered the water but was rescued alive by emergency services and taken to hospital after being pulled from the water unconscious, according to local media reports. A GoFundMe page was set up on Thursday by a friend of the family, Holly Marquis-Johnson, and a relative, Macalia Del-Brocco, to help cover the cost of bringing the children's bodies home to the UK and 'ease the financial burden' of the family – and has so far raised around £25,000. Ms Marquis-Johnson paid tribute to 'Maya and Jubs', the children's nicknames, writing: '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.' She said the siblings' mother and father were 'absolutely heartbroken'. Ms Marquis-Johnson wrote: '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. '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.' Emergency services were called to Llarga beach in Salou, near Tarragona, shortly after 8.45pm local time on Tuesday evening, Catalonia's Civil Protection agency said. Local police, medical and fire services all attended the incident, while a team of psychologists were also at the scene to assist the victims' family. At a news conference on Wednesday, Jose Luis Gargallo, the head of the local police force in Salou, told reporters: 'There were three people who were having serious difficulty getting out of the sea. 'There was a father with his son and daughter, of British nationality. 'When they got out, both of them, the boy and girl, aged 11 and 13, showed no signs of life. 'Attempts were made to resuscitate them with CPR, but they were unsuccessful. 'The father, fortunately, was able to be saved. He had swallowed a lot of water, he was exhausted, very fatigued, but the father was able to be saved thanks to the emergency services.' 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.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Leader Live
a day ago
- Leader Live
British brother and sister who drowned off beach in Spain named
Ameiya and Ricardo Junior Del-Brocco, aged 13 and 11 respectively, died after getting into difficulty in the sea during a family holiday in Salou, near Tarragona, on Tuesday evening. Their father, Ricardo, had also entered the water but was rescued alive by emergency services and taken to hospital after being pulled from the water unconscious, according to local media reports. A GoFundMe page was set up on Thursday by a friend of the family, Holly Marquis-Johnson, and a relative, Macalia Del-Brocco, to help cover the cost of bringing the children's bodies home to the UK and 'ease the financial burden' of the family – and has so far raised around £25,000. Ms Marquis-Johnson paid tribute to 'Maya and Jubs', the children's nicknames, writing: '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.' She said the siblings' mother and father were 'absolutely heartbroken'. Ms Marquis-Johnson wrote: '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. '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.' Emergency services were called to Llarga beach in Salou, near Tarragona, shortly after 8.45pm local time on Tuesday evening, Catalonia's Civil Protection agency said. Local police, medical and fire services all attended the incident, while a team of psychologists were also at the scene to assist the victims' family. At a news conference on Wednesday, Jose Luis Gargallo, the head of the local police force in Salou, told reporters: 'There were three people who were having serious difficulty getting out of the sea. 'There was a father with his son and daughter, of British nationality. 'When they got out, both of them, the boy and girl, aged 11 and 13, showed no signs of life. 'Attempts were made to resuscitate them with CPR, but they were unsuccessful. 'The father, fortunately, was able to be saved. He had swallowed a lot of water, he was exhausted, very fatigued, but the father was able to be saved thanks to the emergency services.' 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.'
South Wales Guardian
a day ago
- South Wales Guardian
British brother and sister who drowned off beach in Spain named
Ameiya and Ricardo Junior Del-Brocco, aged 13 and 11 respectively, died after getting into difficulty in the sea during a family holiday in Salou, near Tarragona, on Tuesday evening. Their father, Ricardo, had also entered the water but was rescued alive by emergency services and taken to hospital after being pulled from the water unconscious, according to local media reports. A GoFundMe page was set up on Thursday by a friend of the family, Holly Marquis-Johnson, and a relative, Macalia Del-Brocco, to help cover the cost of bringing the children's bodies home to the UK and 'ease the financial burden' of the family – and has so far raised around £25,000. Ms Marquis-Johnson paid tribute to 'Maya and Jubs', the children's nicknames, writing: '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.' She said the siblings' mother and father were 'absolutely heartbroken'. Ms Marquis-Johnson wrote: '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. '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.' Emergency services were called to Llarga beach in Salou, near Tarragona, shortly after 8.45pm local time on Tuesday evening, Catalonia's Civil Protection agency said. Local police, medical and fire services all attended the incident, while a team of psychologists were also at the scene to assist the victims' family. At a news conference on Wednesday, Jose Luis Gargallo, the head of the local police force in Salou, told reporters: 'There were three people who were having serious difficulty getting out of the sea. 'There was a father with his son and daughter, of British nationality. 'When they got out, both of them, the boy and girl, aged 11 and 13, showed no signs of life. 'Attempts were made to resuscitate them with CPR, but they were unsuccessful. 'The father, fortunately, was able to be saved. He had swallowed a lot of water, he was exhausted, very fatigued, but the father was able to be saved thanks to the emergency services.' 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.'
