Toddler dies in family holiday pool horror

Jul 20 2008 by Coreena Ford and Ian Robson, Sunday Sun

A TODDLER has died after an accident in a swimming pool while on a family holiday in Turkey.

Two-year-old Lucy Cardwell died in hospital two days after she slipped into the water and hit her head on the side of the pool at a family friend’s home in the town of Dalyan.

And, in a cruel twist, we can reveal it is the second similar tragedy to hit the ill-fated North family.

Only last year her uncle Daniel Cardwell, 15, drowned after going for a swim in a quarry.

The bizarre coincidence has devastated the close-knit family, who are still coming to terms with Daniel’s death.

Daniel’s body was discovered drowned in Marden Quarry, Whitley Bay, on Lucy’s first birthday.

Lucy — the daughter of Daniel’s elder sister Sophie — was pronounced dead by Turkish officials on Friday.

The accident happened on Wednesday when the toddler, of Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, was happily playing in the garden of the friend’s house in Dalyan, a popular holiday resort.

Lucy fell into the 1.5m pool and hit her head on the side, prompting Sophie to jump in moments later in a desperate bid to save her.

It is understood the tot was given artificial respiration by medical staff at the scene of the accident.

She was taken to four different hospitals before she was transferred to a specialist unit at Ege University hospital, where she was put on a ventilation machine. However, she lost her life on Friday.

One Turkish journalist said: “The mother cried out in the halls of the hospital ‘Save my daughter!’ She later took her daughter’s dead body to the forensic medical centre.”

The Foreign Office yesterday confirmed the incident.

A spokeswoman said: “I can confirm there has been the death of a British national in Turkey on July 18.

“We are providing the family with consular assistance. We will support them in whatever way we can.We are unable to provide any more information because the individual is a minor.”

A spokeswoman for Northumbria Police said they were not involved. She said: “We will not be made aware of this until the body is scheduled to come back home.”

One reporter covering the story for Turkish newspapers said: “Her mother Sophie jumped into the pool to try to save her young daughter.

“Meanwhile, an ambulance arrived and doctors gave the girl a heart massage.”

Another reporter said: “Her heart stopped again and this time doctors were not able to make it beat. Her mother had a nervous breakdown.”

Under Turkish law a prosecutor ordered an autopsy.

Sophie had only been in Turkey for a few days, together with partner Karl and her father John, who is divorced from her mother Marie. Last night, a neighbour said John had been on the phone to tell them of the tragedy.

Another neighbour said the incident brought back heartbreaking memories of Daniel.

As news of the second tragedy swept through the community, messages of support for the family were posted on a webpage devoted to Daniel on the Gone Too Soon website.

One message, from Daniel’s friend Dan Dryden, said, using phone text words: “I’m sorry to hear about your Lucy like, my thoughts go out to everyone in ur family, especially Sophie! But no doubt uncle Dan will look after and protect her up there. R.I.P. both of yous, such a shame.”

A second message, posted by Staci from Whitley Bay, said: “Can’t believe this has happened all over again with Lucy, please help your family get through this.

“They have the support from everyone, we all miss u still so so much. Look afta ur little angel niece.”

Sophie was so upset she ran out of Daniel’s inquest in tears in November last year.

Page 2: Baby’s uncle died at 15