This is a Press Statement by Pastor (Mrs) Olubunmi Diya on the sequence of events and circumstances leading to the tragic deaths of her husband Pastor Gabriel Diya, 9-year-old daughter Comfort Diya and 16-year-old son Praise-Emmanuel Diya on Tuesday 24th December 2019 at the CLC World Resorts and Hotels in Costa del Sol,Spain.
Our family are utterly heartbroken by the events last Tuesday, but we are comforted and strengthen by our strong faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are deeply shocked, saddened and struggling to come to terms with their passing. They all brought a joy and love to the world and to everyone that crossed their path. We love them all dearly, will always remember them in our hearts and miss them greatly.
We are disturbed by some inaccurate information being put out by the media that claim to be from various sources. In this respect, we would like to clarify a few points:
1. The three of them knew how to swim. We never informed the police or anyone that the family members could not swim.
2. The whole family, all five of us went to the pool together and were all present when the incident occurred. The children were not left unattended.
3. We followed the instructions displayed by the poolside at all times.
4. The children went into the pool using the steps but found themselves dragged into the middle, which was deeper and called for help when they could not get out.
5. My daughter did not fall into the water.
6. My husband went in via the steps trying to help the two struggling while I ran to the nearby apartments shouting for help to assist my husband.
7. By the time assistance came, the three of them were under the water.
8. My eldest daughter was not medically examined as claimed by some news media.
I believe something was wrong with the pool that must have made swimming difficult for them at that point in time.
Investigations are still ongoing by the Spanish Police to determine what happened, and no information has been passed to the family about their conclusions.
As we come to terms with our loss, we ask for privacy in order for our family to be able to grieve privately.
Statement to the Media – re: Tragic death of Mr Gabriel Diya and children
27th December 2019
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I would like to thank all those who have sent their condolences and supported our family during this extremely difficult time following the tragic deaths of Gabriel, Comfort and Praise-Emmanuel.
Our family are utterly heartbroken by the events last Tuesday, but we are comforted and strengthen by our strong faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are deeply shocked, saddened and struggling to come to terms with their passing. They all brought a joy and love to the world and to everyone that crossed their path. We love them all dearly, will always remember them in our hearts and miss them greatly.
We are disturbed by some inaccurate information being put out by the media that claim to be from various sources. In this respect, we would like to clarify a few points:
1. The three of them knew how to swim. We never informed the police or anyone that the family members could not swim.
2. The whole family, all five of us went to the pool together and were all present when the incident occurred. The children were not left unattended.
3. We followed the instructions displayed by the poolside at all times.
4. The children went into the pool using the steps but found themselves dragged into the middle, which was deeper and called for help when they could not get out.
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5. My daughter did not fall into the water.
6. My husband went in via the steps trying to help the two struggling while I ran to the nearby apartments shouting for help to assist my husband.
7. By the time assistance came, the three of them were under the water.
8. My eldest daughter was not medically examined as claimed by some news media.
I believe something was wrong with the pool that must have made swimming difficult for them at that point in time.
Investigations are still ongoing by the Spanish Police to determine what happened, and no information has been passed to the family about their conclusions.
As we come to terms with our loss, we ask for privacy in order for our family to be able to grieve privately.
Signed
Mrs Olubunmi Diya
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