AN 18-MONTH-OLD Irish child drowned in a swimming accident in Spain last weekend when she fell into a pool at the Costa Blanca villa owned by her parents.
The accident occurred early on Sunday evening. Her parents are thought to be from Dublin.
The property is in the Muchavista area of Campello, a large resort town near Alicante. Police and paramedics were immediately called to the scene, but she was already dead. "There was nothing we could do to save her. We could only certify her death at 7.15pm," said a paramedic.
A police officer said that the family had asked not to be identified, and an Irish Embassy official said that although consular assistance had been offered, the parents have not asked for help.
The Civil Guard in Alicante confirmed that the child was born in Dublin in 2006. A spokesman said details of the tragedy have been passed on to an examining magistrate who has ordered a postmortem examination. The spokesman said there was no reason to believe that this was anything but a tragic accident.