Gabriel Diya, a 52-year-old pastor of The Redeemed Christian Church of God RCCG, his 16-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter, drowned inside the swimming pool in the Costa del Sol resort in Southern Spain on Tuesday, December 24th, 2019.
Gabriel Diya, a Nigerian was the Minister in charge of the Open Heavens of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Charlton, South-East London. He was on a family vacation with his wife and 3 children. One of his daughters by the name Comfort got into difficulty while playing in the resort pool.
Her brother, Praise-Emmanuel, age 16, jumped into the pool followed by their father Gabriel after hearing the screams of their 14-year-old daughter Favour, who had been playing with Comfort moments the ordeal. Father and his son jumped in to try to save Comfort but also struggled in the water.
Despite poolside attempts to resuscitate them, all three died at the scene.
After the tragic death of the family member, News began to circulate that the father and children didn’t know how to swim. But the wife of the pastor who was present and looking for help when the incident happened, said her family did not drown but knows how to swim. She also believes something was wrong with the pool that must have made swimming difficult for them at that point in time.
This comes after Autopsy reports said the three family members died by drowning. She said an investigation is still ongoing by the Spanish Police to determine what happened, and no information has been passed to the family about their conclusions.
His wife, Olubunmi who is still deeply in shocked, saddened and struggling to come to terms with their passing of her husband and two children has penned out a press statement, after false news about surrounding her families death began to circulate.
Taking to the church official social media page, she Mrs Diya wrote.
“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.
