Parents of girl, 13, who died in pool on holiday make journey home without her
The parents of a 13-year-old British girl who died after being found in a swimming pool in Florida have flown home to the UK without her.
Schoolgirl Anna Beaumont, 13, was found unresponsive in a pool at Discovery Cove in Orlando, Florida, and died the next day.
She was on holiday with her parents Peter and Elizabeth, and her brother Jake after travelling from their home in Cardiff.
Anna, who was a cyclist, had raised £900 for the Noah’s Ark children’s hospital with an Ironman ride next to her dad.
A friend said: ‘This is just so tragic. Like any family they were very excited by the holiday. You never dream of coming home without a child.’
Colleagues of mum Elizabeth, who works at Cardiff University, were described as devastated at her loss.
She was also a ‘talented’ member of a local rowing club and had a keen interest in sports along with the rest of her family.
Trevor Wing, Chairman Llandaff rowing club said Anna was ‘a keen rower who had been training hard all winter and was enjoying the recent water sessions’.
He added: ‘She was a lovely and talented young lady and will be greatly missed.
‘All the junior section and the rowing club wish to express their heartfelt condolences to Anna’s family.’
Staff at her school in Radyr, Cardiff, today comfort classmates just two years after fellow pupil Aryan Ghoniya, 13, vanished in the River Taff while playing with friends.
Both attended Radyr Comprehensive where the headteacher Andrew Williams called Anna ‘a cherished member of our school family’.
Mr Williams: ‘The very thought of losing a child is an unimaginable journey and I know I speak on behalf of the whole school community when I say that our thoughts are with Anna’s family as they try to come to terms with their loss.
(Picture: Fox)
‘Anna was a cherished member of our school family, and her absence will be profoundly felt by pupils, staff and all who had the privilege of knowing her. Her spirit, kindness and presence touched so many lives.’
In an email to parents, the school said it would be briefing staff on how best to support pupils in the coming weeks after the loss of the year 8 pupil.
He urged them to ‘listen and encourage them to talk about their feelings’.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: ‘We are in touch with the family following the death of a child in the United States, and are providing consular support during this difficult time.’
Discovery Cove describes itself as an ‘all-inclusive day resort’ on its website, and says it offers opportunities to swim with dolphins and snorkel among tropical fish. It is a sister park of SeaWorld Orlando and Aquatica Orlando.
In a statement, police said: ‘We are sorry to report that on May 29, 2024, 13-year-old Anna Beaumont was pronounced deceased at the hospital. Any information about the cause and manner of her death will need to come from the Medical Examiner’s Office.’
A spokesperson for the site stated that its ‘staff responded to an emergency involving a guest’ and that they contacted Orange County Fire & Rescue.
They said: ‘When emergency personnel arrived, they took over care and transported the guest to a nearby hospital. Our thoughts are with this family, and out of respect for their privacy, we won’t be commenting further.’