Tragedy In Cabo Roig

Tragedy struck in Cabo Roig on the Orihuela Costa last weekend when a five year old girl from Murcia died following a tragic accident. The girl, named as Paloma Go'mez Marin, was on holiday with her family in Pilar de la Horadada.  She was struck by the propeller of her grandfather’s boat as she and her brothers and also her 35-year-old mother were swimming nearby.

The accident happened shortly after Midday on Sunday when the grandfather had stopped the boat in a forbidden area. He decided to move it and not realising that his family was so close by, turned the engines on. The propeller struck the little girl and as a result she suffered serious neck and leg injuries.

Despite the immediate efforts of a nearby doctor and the lifeguards alerted by the frantic screams and cries of the family and also the efforts of the emergency services, who fought for an hour to save the child, she died. The mother was also injured by the propeller and suffered from severe lacerations. She was taken to Torrevieja Hospital where she was treated by medical staff for her injuries and for shock. The boat, which was 7.5 metres long and equipped with two motors, was later taken to the port of Pilar de la Horadada for inspection by the Guardia Civil. 

Destroyed

Earlier this week, the Court Number 5 in Orihuela along with the Guardia Civil, launched an investigation into the exact circumstances of the accident. They have stated that they are treating this as a tragic accident and have said that they are going to give the family time to grieve before deciding whether or not to take criminal proceedings against the grandfather. The same source has stated that the family is. “Totally ‘worn down’ by the tragic events and have been ‘destroyed’ by the untimely death of their beautiful little girl.” 

The source has also dismissed local media claims that the accident occurred because the boat was in a forbidden area. He said; “The accident would have also happened if the family were swimming close to the boat and it was several miles off the coast. All the family was in the boat together, enjoying their day.” 

Respect

Friends and relatives of the little girl flocked to the Tanatorio Jesús de Murcia on Monday to pay their respects and offer their condolences to the grief stricken family, who live in the urbanisation of Alcayna, close to the Murcian capital. Paloma’s father, Andrés Gómez, asked that the media now respects the family’s wishes and leave them alone to grieve for her. Meanwhile, her mother left the hospital in Torrevieja shortly before the funeral, which took place on Tuesday afternoon. The child’s grandfather is said to be in a state of shock and ‘lost for words’. He was also checked out in hospital following the tragedy after complaining of dizziness.