Castleblayney mourns tragic double death during Spanish holiday

Castleblayney, a quiet town in County Monaghan where neighbors know each other by heart, is preparing for something rare and heavy: the funerals of Thomasina Tobin and her husband Patrick next Friday. Their names are known throughout the village because families here have been linked for generations. When tragedy strikes one person, the whole community feels it deeply.

Most residents plan to walk down those church steps at Our Lady of Knock when the couple is laid to rest. Thomasina grew up locally before moving to London, where she met Patrick, a man from New Zealand. Her sudden death has left everyone stunned and filled with questions about that terrible day two weeks ago during their summer vacation in Spain.

The scene was horrific. Authorities found both bodies early on the morning of August 25 after they stepped into the hot tub at Villa Luna, a luxury property in Cullera near Valencia. Their children, a fourteen-year-old boy and sixteen-year-old girl with mild special needs, were waiting for them. The kids are now safe back home near Greenwich Park under the care of relatives, but the pain remains fresh.

Speculation ran wild before answers arrived. Some thought chemicals caused the fatal blow, while others believed overheating was to blame. A dark rumor suggested a pump malfunction created suction that trapped them underwater and pulled them down. No third party was involved in this nightmare, and foul play was quickly dismissed by investigators.

Now light is shedding on the darkness. A grieving friend spoke exclusively with reporters to share what the official Spanish coroner has revealed. The cause of death points to electrocution rather than drowning or heat stroke as many feared. This new information changes how people understand those final moments in that Mediterranean villa.

The friend explained that total confusion still lingers regarding exactly how such a disaster could unfold. Police initially called it an accident, yet families struggled to make sense of two lives lost in the tub together. The coroner report now suggests one body was found inside the water while the other lay beside it. This detail supports the story that Patrick tried to drag his wife out when she got into trouble.

Patrick died trying to save Thomasina after she faced difficulty in the hot water. His final act shows a man who loved her deeply and gave everything he had in those early August hours. The tragedy remains unimaginable for everyone watching, but at least some clarity has come to help families begin their long road forward.

She was really small, but he was still wet and was then electrocuted himself." Those were the chilling words describing the end of Thomasina and Patrick Tobin's summer break. The family is now trying to piece together the chronology of this unthinkable tragedy while they wait for answers on who – if anyone – is ultimately responsible. One source added that the family do not have a clear picture yet, though electrocution sounds more plausible than a suction issue. "Of course this should never have happened so I am sure there will be further action in the future," he said.

In Cullera, as the holiday season draws to a close, the luxury villa remains closed with its shutters drawn. Spanish families have left the town, returning to their city lives and the daily grind. Tourists have been replaced by a steady trail of investigators and police officers, all tasked with trying to piece together the final hours of the Tobin family. The hard facts are these: Thomasina, Patrick and the two children left London on August 22, two days before the fatal accident occurred. They had planned to stay for just over two weeks to make the most of the children's summer holidays before the start of school term this week.

Both were hardworking professionals. Mrs Tobin, 51, was a high-flying quantity surveyor for luxury hotels at Turner & Townsend. Mr Tobin had recently been promoted to manager at the London branch of HCLTech, an Indian company that specialises in digital engineering, cloud and AI products. Villa Luna undoubtedly offered an escape from their hectic working lives. Spreading over 2,691 sq ft, the home offers panoramic views of the Mediterranean alongside a private pool, an outdoor BBQ area, as well as the romantic indoor spa area. Photos of the ground floor 'oasis' show the inviting hot tub with a bottle of champagne and two glasses on the side. The property's website describes the space as being made for 'moments of pure relaxation'.

Relaxing is what Mr and Mrs Tobin had planned to do on that fateful afternoon of August 24. According to police, the family had enjoyed a BBQ on the terrace, followed by a swim in the pool. Later in the day, the children headed up to their rooms while the couple made the most of the spa facilities in the basement. While the timeline of how their quiet downtime turned to disaster is still incomplete, initial autopsy results reported by local media said both died from cardiopulmonary arrest. Investigators are now going with the theory that this was caused after both suffered a fatal electric shock.

The luxury villa costs £2,600 a week for two weeks' stay. The owners of the Colina Del Sol holiday complex – where Villa Luna sits alongside two other properties behind electric gates – continue to refuse to speak about the case. How and why this occurred is still unclear. Was it caused by a malfunction in the hot tub itself or from an outside source? Early findings from the scene seem to indicate that Mrs Tobin was in the water when the shock occurred while her husband was fatally injured while desperately trying to drag her out. His still wet arms acted like a conductor for the electrical current. He died outside the water, at the side of the tub. Superficial injuries allegedly found on their bodies seemed to suggest some sort of struggle or rescue attempt.

It is not the first time that a couple have been electrocuted in a hot tub on holiday. In July last year, Estephania López and her children watched her husband Sagid, 36, die at a hotel resort in Ixtapa, Mexico after he was electrocuted in the water. Regulations regarding pool safety might need to change if these tragedies keep happening.

His wife accused the hotel of negligence because they claimed the tub lacked proper maintenance. Similarly, in June 2024, Lizette Zambrano filed a $1 million lawsuit after her American husband Jorge died in a hot tub at a Mexican resort. She alleges faulty wiring caused his death. Ms Zambrano was also dragged from the water without a pulse. Bystanders saved her by performing CPR.

For nearly 12 hours, Thomasina and Patrick lay motionless in the spa until their son found them around 5 am the next morning. The teenager woke to prepare for a planned sunrise beach trip but saw their bed still made. After searching the house, he located his parents in the tub and called his older sister immediately. Together, they contacted a family member before combing the gated community streets. A neighbor eventually helped them reach emergency services.

Paramedics, local police, and the Guardia Civil arrived quickly at the property. The couple was pronounced dead on the scene. Shocked and speechless children were taken into care by the Spanish Red Cross and Cullera City Council. Psychologists provided support until relatives in the UK and Ireland could be reached. The kids reunited with three family members early Wednesday morning while workers removed their parents' bodies late that night. The family stayed in Cullera during investigations but returned to the UK at the start of this week. It remains unknown if Thomasina and Patrick's bodies have been sent back to Ireland.

Almost three weeks later, the Guardia Civil refuses further comment on their version of events. They insist they still wait for toxicology reports sent to a lab in Barcelona. Local newspaper Las Provincias reported earlier this week that investigators now focus on criminal or civil liabilities. These could involve the holiday home owners or the hot tub manufacturer. The judge overseeing the case ordered an expert to inspect the tub for malfunctions. On Thursday, someone from Andrey Pool Service left the property after being brought in to investigate the unit's workings but refused journalists' questions.

Carlos Navarro told the Daily Mail that their hot tubs carry a two-year warranty. He added that the unit sold to the owner was installed over eight years ago. Consequently, he stated liability lies with the owners if it was indeed their product. Meanwhile, owners of the Colina Del Sol holiday complex where Villa Luna sits continue refusing to speak about the case. Brothers Adam and Michal Markuszewski have instructed lawyers specializing in both civil and criminal law this week. When approached by the Daily Mail, these attorneys said there are no current charges or lawsuits against their clients. They insisted the unit functioned correctly and noted no customer ever reported a malfunction.

Worlds away back in Ireland and Greenwich, a heartbreaking task now begins to lay the couple to rest. Families must also decide the best future for their orphaned children who returned home this week. After news spread, there was a rush to get over to Valencia and support the kids.

Thomasina's sisters have returned to Ireland now that the whole family is back there, and one of them has traveled to London to care for the children, according to a close friend of the family. That friend admitted they are waiting to see what happens next. Social services are clearly involved in the situation. It remains too soon to know if the kids will move to Ireland or if relatives will come over to look after them. They were a lovely group and very close together before this happened.

Mr and Mrs Tobin, who neighbors called the perfect couple, met nearly 20 years ago while both worked at Nokia in London. Neither was originally from the capital, yet they chose to stay and raise their kids in a four-bedroom home near Greenwich Park. One local friend said recently that it is hard to believe what has occurred. She described them as super chilled people and noted how happy their marriage seemed. To outsiders, they appeared perfect and clearly loved each other deeply.

Just a few weeks ago, Mrs Tobin had returned to Ireland for her sister's 60th birthday celebration. A family source recalled that she was in really good form then and looking forward to an upcoming holiday. The McArdle name is well known across Ireland because of Tommy McArdle, who is 87 years old. He served as the former director at Irish broadcaster RTE and played goalkeeper for the Monaghan Football Team during the Fifties and Sixties.

It makes sense why people in Castleblayney have come together to support this popular family. Hundreds of messages pouring in praised them as loving and devoted parents. A school reunion for Thomasina's class from 1991 was called off right after the tragedy. The classmates at Our Lady secondary school organized a quiet drink instead so they could be mindful of the grieving families.

Former President Mary McAleese reached out to offer her deepest sympathies to the entire clan. She wrote that what awful grief everyone has to bear now. While hundreds of mourners are expected to gather next week, many are still trying to process the shock. Everyone's thoughts remain with those two teenagers who must navigate this new reality after their family was suddenly torn apart.