Pictured: Husband and wife found dead in hot tub tragedy at Spanish holiday villa
A married couple who died in a hot tub tragedy in a villa in Spain have been identified.
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Patrick Tobin, 48, and his wife Thomasina, 51, were found in a spa tub at the luxurious Spanish villa they rented for a family holiday.
The bodies of Mr and Mrs Tobin were found by their children, aged 16 and 14, at Villa Luna, a three-bedroom property at a gated complex south of Valencia.
Police believe the couple were victims of 'suction entrapment' when a powerful vacuum pull from a hot tub or swimming pool drain pulls a person's body, hair of clothing underwater.
The couple were found with scratch marks on their bodies and there was blood in the water and a strong chemical smell, according to reports.
Police have ruled out foul play.
A source close to the case said: "Tests are ongoing but one of the main theories investigators have focused on is that at least one of the pair died after getting into difficulties in the water because of an excessive suction force generated by the hot tub's hydro-massage mechanism, and the other lost their life during a desperate rescue attempt."
Initial reports suggest marks and cuts found on Ms Tobin’s body suggest she was involved in a struggle to save her husband, while marks on Mr Tobin’s body suggest he was pulled under the water first, according to Valencian outlet Levante-EMV.
The couple arrived at the villa on August 22 for a two-week holiday.
Their bodies were found at approximately 5pm last Tuesday.
Mrs Tobin worked at London consultancy firm Turner and Townsend as a quantity surveyor. Mr Tobin is understood to have worked in the tech industry in London.
A spokesman for Turner & Townsend Alinea said: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Thomasina Tobin and her husband.
"Thomasina was a valued member of our team, and our thoughts are with her family at this incredibly difficult time. We are liaising with her family to provide support.”
It is understood that the children alerted the property's owner to the tragedy who in turn contacted police. Relatives have flown out to care for the children in the wake of the tragedy.
The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed it is providing consular assistance.
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A spokesperson for the Civil Guard in Valencia said: “The bodies of a man aged 50 and a woman aged 45 were found yesterday at a residential property in the municipality of Cullera. Both were Irish.
“Their children discovered the bodies in a Jacuzzi and alerted the authorities.”
The case is being handled by a local homicide unit, the Irish Times reported.
Pablo Cea, a spokesman for the Civil Guard in Valencia, told the paper: “That does not mean this was a homicide.”
“It could be an accident – every hypothesis is open for investigation”.
The couple’s children are being supported by social workers assisted by a psychologist.