Siblings Ameiya and Ricardo Junior, affectionately known as Maya and Jubs, tragically drowned after insisting on having “one last swim” at a beach in Salou, Spain.
The brother and sister, aged 11 and 13 respectively, were visiting the coastal resort from Birmingham, UK, with their family on their first major holiday abroad at the start of the summer break.
On Tuesday, July 29, both children were swept away by powerful rip tides and tragically lost their lives after being dragged about 100 meters apart in the turbulent waters, all witnessed by their devastated family.
Their father, Ricardo Senior, who bravely tried to rescue them amid strong winds at Llarga Beach, had to be saved himself after swallowing large amounts of sea water and becoming exhausted. He was later revived by emergency teams.
The family, including mother Shanice and their six children, had been staying at a nearby hotel. The fatal swim occurred near the end of their holiday.
Shanice had taken some of the younger children to the toilet, while Ricardo Senior stayed on the beach with Maya and Jubs to allow them one last swim. When Shanice returned, she found the three missing. Her sister Macalia Del Brocco described the moment to the Daily Mail:
“She came back out and couldn’t see any of them. At that point, she panicked. The police arrived soon after and everything unfolded from there.”
Emergency services were alerted shortly after 8:45 pm on July 29, according to Catalonia’s Civil Protection agency. Despite the rapid response, the two children were declared dead at the scene.
Their aunt shared the family’s heartbreak, revealing that younger brother Casius, aged 6, asked if Maya and Jubs were “in heaven now,” adding that “Juby went to heaven in a helicopter.”
Loved ones remember Ameiya and Ricardo as “beautiful” and “bright” children.
A police officer involved in the rescue described the overwhelming power of the current. Although the siblings entered the sea together, they were swept 100 meters apart.
Officer Younes A. told DiariTots21: “A hotel worker was trying to get one of the three out of the sea when we arrived. We removed our belts and jumped in. We first helped the father to safety before returning to rescue the children.”
He added, “There were strong waves and wind, making the rescue extremely dangerous. We did everything we could.”
The family is now receiving support from their community as they begin to cope with this heartbreaking loss.
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