Tears in Tarragona: British Siblings Drown in Spanish Sea as Holiday Turns to Horror

Published: 1st August 2025 | The English Chronicle Desk

What began as a joyful family holiday in the sun-drenched coastal town of Salou, Spain, ended in unfathomable sorrow as two British siblings, aged just 11 and 13, tragically drowned while swimming at Llarga beach near Tarragona. The siblings—Ameiya Del Brocco, 13, and her younger brother Ricardo Junior, 11—had asked for a “final swim” before sunset, never to return to the shore alive.

Affectionately known to their family as Maya and Jubs, the children were swept away by powerful currents on Tuesday evening as their father, Ricardo Senior, battled to save them. Despite his desperate efforts and a dramatic rescue attempt by Spanish emergency services, both children were pronounced dead after being pulled from the water.

The tragic sequence unfolded just before 9pm local time, moments after the beach’s lifeguards had finished their shifts. A yellow warning flag—signaling hazardous sea conditions—was reportedly flying at the time, but without active supervision, the family had no idea of the looming danger. Witnesses and local authorities described a harrowing rescue operation in which officers and emergency personnel fought to reach the children amid worsening surf conditions.

Their aunt, Kayla Jasvinder Del-Brocco, recounted to BirminghamLive the haunting final moments. “They went out to swim together with their dad as they loved the beach. Mum said ‘don’t be long’ and took her little one to the bathroom. When she returned, they were gone. That’s when the nightmare began,” she said.

Emergency responders were able to retrieve all three from the sea. The children were treated at the beach and then at their hotel, while Ricardo Junior was airlifted to hospital by helicopter. However, despite the best efforts of medics, neither of the siblings could be revived. Their father, though nearly drowned himself, survived after swallowing a significant amount of seawater. He remains physically stable but emotionally shattered.

In the wake of the tragedy, the family has been enveloped in a tidal wave of grief. Ricardo Senior, now facing the unthinkable loss of both his children, is reportedly inconsolable. “That’s not going to disappear from his mind,” said their other aunt, Macalia Del Brocco, in an interview with the Daily Mail. “It’s going to be a lot of trauma mentally for him to deal with.”

Macalia also shared a poignant exchange with the children’s six-year-old brother, Casius. “He told me, ‘Did you know Maya and Jubs are in heaven now? Juby went to heaven in a helicopter.’”

The family, originally from Erdington, Birmingham, had been enjoying a warm summer evening at the beach before preparing to head back to their hotel. Maya and Jubs had pleaded for one last swim—a request that turned heartbreakingly final. Their final photo, smiling on the golden sands just hours before the accident, now serves as a devastating reminder of the vibrant lives lost.

Tributes have poured in for the siblings. Maya was remembered as athletic, intelligent, protective of her siblings, and full of wit and individuality. Jubs, as his family called him, was gentle, kind-hearted, and endlessly helpful—a boy who dreamed of becoming a YouTuber and loved making people laugh.

“They would fight like cat and dog at times, but they adored each other,” said Macalia.

A crowdfunding campaign launched by cousin Holly Marquis-Johnson has already raised more than £3,000 towards a £15,000 target. The money will go towards repatriation costs and funeral arrangements for the children. “Two beautiful, bright, and deeply loved children, taken far too soon. The pain their family is feeling is unimaginable,” Holly wrote. “This fundraiser has been created to help ease some of the financial burden the family is now facing, covering the costs of bringing Maya and Jubs home to the UK and giving them the dignified farewell they deserve.”

Spanish officials confirmed that the alarm was raised at approximately 8:50pm, shortly after lifeguards had ended their shift at 8pm. Chief Inspector José Luis Gargallo of the local police confirmed that all standard resuscitation procedures were followed. “When the officers arrived, there were three people with significant difficulties in getting out of the sea. All resuscitation manoeuvres were performed on the children, but without success. We did everything possible.”

One of the police officers who risked his life in the rescue effort, identified as Younes A, recalled the intense moment. “We were told when we helped get that person out that another two people were in the sea who could be minors.”

As the British consulate in Spain extends support to the grieving family and local authorities continue reviewing the incident, broader questions are being raised regarding the timing of lifeguard shifts, the visibility of sea warnings, and public awareness of water safety—especially among tourists unfamiliar with local tides.

The tragic deaths of Maya and Jubs have left a community grieving and a family shattered. Their story, both heartbreaking and haunting, underscores the cruel unpredictability of the sea and the fragile line between joy and tragedy. Amid the outpouring of sorrow, their memory endures in the hearts of all who knew and loved them—and in the final smile they left behind on the Spanish shore.