RCCG Mourns Pastor And His Two Kids Who Drown In Pool On Christmas Eve

Tributes have been paid to Nigerian-born Briton and his two children who drowned in a resort swimming pool on the Costa del Sol on Christmas Eve.

Gabriel Diya, 52, his daughter, Comfort, nine, and his son, Praise-Emmanuel, 16, died in the pool at Club La Costa World, near Fuengirola in Spain.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) quoted the police as saying they were checking claims that Comfort got into difficulties and the other two died trying to save her.

The church where Diya was a pastor said its prayers were with the family.

The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) said in a post on Facebook: “With heavy hearts, we extend our condolences to the family, parish, friends and associates of Area Pastor Gabriel Diya who sadly passed away, along with two of his children… in a tragic incident while on a family holiday in Spain.

“At this very difficult time, our prayers are for Pastor Diya’s family, the parishes that were under his supervision, friends, associates, members of RCCG and the general public,” the post added.

The church said Diya was also the parish pastor at Open Heavens, a Christian religious group with origins in Nigeria, based in Charlton, south-east London. He was survived by his wife, assistant pastor Olubunmi Diya, and another daughter.  A neighbour of the family said she was “really devastated” to learn of the deaths, describing the Diyas as “very religious, very friendly and very humble”.

Speaking outside her home in Charlton, Lara Akins, 59, added: “I still can’t comprehend it, it’s still shocking.

“They are so nice, that is why everybody is shocked… we are very friendly with each other.”

The hotel owners described the incident as a “tragic accident”.

Police said divers retrieved Comfort’s swimming hat from the pool pump but investigators had found nothing wrong with the pool, which has since reopened.

Because the pool is a very small one, lifeguards were “not necessary” so there were none present, a spokesman for the Spanish Civil Guard told the BBC.  The UK Foreign Office said it was supporting a British woman in Spain, thought to be the children’s mother.

Mr Diya and his daughter were both British passport holders while his son had an American passport.

In a statement on Christmas Day, the owners of the club said: “The Guardia Civil have carried out a full investigation which found no concerns relating to the pool in question or procedures in place, which leaves us to believe this was a tragic accident which has left everyone surrounding the incident in shock.

“Naturally, our primary concern remains the care and support of the remaining family members.”

Locally-based freelance journalist Gerard Couzens said the hotel had confirmed it had reopened the pool after it was given permission to do so by police.

“That pool where this terrible tragedy occurred on Christmas Eve is open for use again. And the management is saying the police have given the pool a clean bill of health,” he told BBC Breakfast.  Another journalist Fernando Torres told the BBC it was a shocking scene.

“The resort workers heard the screaming and they tried to do CPR [resuscitation] as well, but they couldn’t help them,” he said.”

“Then the emergency doctors came and they tried for 30-35 minutes, but they couldn’t revive them.”