Patrick Tobin has been named as the man found dead alongside his wife after the couple were feared to have become trapped in a hot tub during a holiday in Spain.
Mr Tobin, 48, and his wife Thomasina, 51, a London-based quantity surveyor, were discovered in the spa tub, amid concerns that faulty suction pumps may have been involved.
The hot tub is understood to be the centrepiece of a “ground-floor oasis” at the Spanish villa the couple had rented for a family getaway.
The bodies of Mr and Mrs Tobin were found last Tuesday by their two children, aged 16 and 14, at the exclusive Villa Luna, a three-bedroom property on a gated complex believed to rent for around £2,000 a week.
The villa sits within the Cap Blanc residential estate in Cullera, about 25 miles south of Valencia, and is one of three luxury properties operated by Colina del Sol.
Pictured for the first time is the heated hot tub and jacuzzi their bodies were recovered from.
It has a TV on one side, with panoramic views over the Mediterranean through full-length windows on the other.
Investigating officers believe the pair were victims of a rare phenomenon called ‘suction entrapment’, which occurs when a powerful vacuum pull from a hot tub or swimming pool drain traps a person’s body, hair, or clothing underwater.
Post-mortem examinations conducted on Mrs Tobin, from Co Monaghan in Ireland, and Mr Tobin, originally from New Zealand, found marks and scratches on both bodies as well as blood in the cloudy water of the hot tub and a strong chemical smell.
Patrick Tobin, 48, originally from New Zealand, worked in the tech industry in London
This is the luxury hot tub where a successful London-based couple died while on holiday at the £2,000-a-week Spanish villa where they were staying with their teenage children
Police investigating their deaths fear the couple had suffered ‘suction entrapment’, when a powerful vacuum pull from a hot tub drain traps a person’s body, hair or clothing underwater
Foul play has been ruled out as there were no signs of forced entry nor was any suspicious activity detected on nearby CCTV cameras.
According to media reports in Spain, suction marks were found on both victims but were more pronounced on Mr Tobin.
Conflicting local news reports, however, have stated it was Mr Tobin who had tried to save his wife, with police yet to clarify this claim.
A source close to the case said: ‘Tests are ongoing but one of the main theories investigators have focused on is that at least one of the pair died after getting into difficulties in the water because of an excessive suction force generated by the hot tub’s hydro-massage mechanism, and the other lost their life during a desperate rescue attempt.’
On the official website, the 2,691-square-ft property is described as ‘a synonym of luxury’ offering ‘the perfect blend of comfort, privacy and charm’.
One of the biggest attractions of the villa is the ‘ground-floor oasis, where your own private spa area with jacuzzi, TV corner and a shower area built into the rock calls for moments of pure relaxation’.
Photographs on the website show the hot tub in a low-light spa room with stone and marble-effect walls and floor-to-ceiling windows with sea views.
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The family arrived at Villa Luna on August 22 for a two-week holiday and were due to fly back to the UK on September 6.
It is understood both bodies were found partially outside the hot tub, at approximately 5pm last Tuesday.
Thomasina Tobin was working at the London consultancy firm Turner and Townsend as a quantity surveyor in the high-end hotels industry for the past five-and-a-half years
Postmortem examinations conducted on the couple found marks and scratches on both bodies as well as blood in the cloudy water of the hot tub and a strong chemical smell
Suction marks were found on both victims but were more pronounced on Mr Tobin – leading investigators to believe he may have been pulled under the water first
Police had also been examining if either Mr or Mrs Tobin had been electrocuted in the small pool but this has since been ruled out.
At this stage the results of a post-mortem examination will not be released officially, in keeping with Spanish practice.
Mrs Tobin was working at the London consultancy firm Turner and Townsend as a quantity surveyor in the high-end hotels industry for the past five-and-a-half years.
She had worked in the UK for the past 30 years since graduating from Trinity College Dublin and had run her own quantity surveying firm, as well as serving as a partner in another. She then became head of hotels at her current company where she had worked on famous luxury sites including the Ritz.
Her father Tommy McArdle had been a director for Irish broadcaster RTE and goalkeeper for the Monaghan senior county football team in the Fifties and Sixties.
Mr Tobin is understood to have worked in the tech industry in London.
Relatives of Mrs Tobin arrived in Spain last Wednesday to comfort the couple’s children.
The children had alerted the property owner who lived nearby and called the police, who then went through contacts in one of their phones and got in touch with family members in Monaghan.
It is understood three relatives including an uncle flew out to care for them and landed at 3am last Wednesday, less than 12 hours after the bodies were found.
The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed it was providing consular assistance, while New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated it was aware of Mr Tobin’s death and was assisting his relatives at home and in the UK.
A spokesman for Colina del Sol told the Daily Mail: ‘We would like to express our deepest condolences to the family affected by this tragic incident at Colina del Sol in Cullera.
‘Colina del Sol is a holiday resort that has operated for many years without incident for its guests. The resort has always maintained the highest standards of safety and quality.
‘At this stage, we are awaiting the conclusion of the official investigation. We believe it is important to allow the competent authorities to examine the facts and provide an explanation for what happened.
‘Out of respect for the victims’ families, we will make no further comment. Our thoughts are with the family and all those affected by this difficult situation.’