Family devastated after daughter Isabella May Crump found dead in Costa Blanca swimming pool

The family of a two-year-old girl found dead in a swimming pool in Spain said today: “The brightest light in our lives has been switched off” as it emerged relatives had battled to revive her.

Isabella May Crump was found in the water at her great-grandparents' villa in the Costa Blanca region on Wednesday afternoon.

She had been staying at the property with her parents, from Ludlow, Shropshire, and other family members.

The group were on a week-long break in San Miguel de Salinas, which was due to end yesterday.

In a statement released by West Mercia Police, Isabella's grandfather, who asked not to be named, said: "We are all totally devastated. The brightest light in our lives has been switched off.

"We need time as a family unit to console each other and to make arrangements to bring our little one back to the UK.

"We are liaising with the British Consulate in sorting out all the arrangements.

"We would ask people to leave us alone to do this. This has just been the most tragic of circumstances and we need time to grieve."

A police spokeswoman said: "Isabella May Crump fell into the pool at the villa home of her great-grandparents on Wednesday afternoon.

"Family members made frantic efforts to resuscitate her before the arrival of paramedics."

Her grandfather, speaking from Spain, said the family had spent much of Wednesday beside the pool, before heading indoors during the afternoon.

He said: "Towards the end of the afternoon, all of the family had all gone back inside.

"At some point, Izzy has gone back outside, unknown to everybody. She was only out of sight for a matter of moments.

"She was found in the pool and couldn't be revived. The entire family are totally heartbroken."

Responding to newspaper reports that Isabella's mother, Deborah Ridgway, was sleeping in a hammock nearby when the tragedy happened, he added: "These reports are untrue. The whole family, including Deborah and Izzy, had gone back inside."

Some of the party has returned to the UK but it is understood that Isabella's mother and father, Patrick Crump, are still in Spain.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are aware of the death of a British national in San Miguel de Salinas, Alicante. We have offered consular assistance."

PA