TWO BRITISH WOMEN DROWN IN HOLIDAY SWIM TRAGEDY
TWO British women on holiday in Spain were swept to their deaths by giant waves after stripping off for a latenight swim.
The pair, named by friends yesterday as Lisa Coggins, 35, and Tracey Aston, 31, drowned after plunging into the water at the storm- lashed holiday resort of Lloret de Mar. Both are believed to be mothers of two young children.
Witnesses told how one of the women died after diving into the water to rescue a friend.
The group allegedly defied warnings to stay off the beach, which had been closed because of the bad weather.
Heartbroken
The victims were among a group of five women friends from Birmingham who had travelled to the Costa Brava on Tuesday for a short break.
The survivors included Grazia Sassano, 33, and her sister Italia Kilmister, 30. Their heartbroken brother Mario, 36, was Lisa’s boyfriend. He was last night being comforted by relatives in Erdington, Birmingham.
Tearful Mario said: “Lisa has two children. We do not know how the news will be broken to them.
“She had worked at B& Q for seven years. She was a beautiful, hard- working girl. I don’t know what to say, I am just so sad.”
Tracey’s husband Aaron was too upset last night to talk about the tragedy.
Disaster struck after the group, who were believed to be staying in a beachfront apartment, headed to the sea in the early hours and posed for photos beside a statue called the Dona Marinera or Sailor’s Wife.
A security guard at a snack bar told how two members of the party stripped off to go into the water shortly after 4am. One managed to scramble to safety but there was no sign of her friend and another member of the group dived in to try to save her.
Lazaro Alvarez, 50, said the pair were “swallowed by the sea”. He added: “Two stripped off and went into the water. One was naked and the other one had removed her dress. I warned them it was dangerous because the waves were 10ft high. There had been a storm the day before and the beaches had been closed.
“A big wave dragged both of them in. One of the women on the beach went in to help her friend and managed to get her out but then she got into difficulties and disappeared.
“The other girls screamed to me to help them. I tried but it was too rough. I called the police when I saw there was nothing I could do.”
Two bodies were recovered yesterday three miles along the coast.