Mum drowns in 4am beach tragedy as she tries to rescue friend swept away in storm
TWO British women drowned off the coast of Spain after being swept away by 10ft waves in the early hours of yesterday.
The bodies of Lisa Coggins, 35, and Tracey Aston, 32, were recovered by helicopter from the Mediterranean following a search that was hampered by raging storms.
They had been on holiday with three friends and went to the beach after a night out in Lloret de Mar.
It is understood that two of the women went into the rough seas to pose for pictures – standing in water up to their ankles – at 4.15am when they were knocked off their feet.
One managed to get out but a third went into the water to help her friend and was overcome by the waves.
A local had earlier warned them it was dangerous because of recent storms. Lazaro Alvarez, 50, a security worker at a beach bar, said: ‘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 as 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 under the water.
‘The other girls screamed to me to help them. I tried to get them out but it was too rough. I called the police when I saw there was nothing I could do. I am still in a state of shock.’
The group included sisters Grazia Sassano, 33, and Italia Kilmister, 30, and Joanne Worth, 33.
The friends, all from Birmingham, had arrived on Tuesday and were staying in a hotel in the centre of the town, a short walk from the seafront.
On Wednesday, after enjoying some drinks in the town, they went to take a group photo at the Dona Marinera monument on a cliff top before heading to the beach.
The women were reported missing at 4.40am and a huge search involving police and coastguard began. But bad weather, which saw waves as high as 20ft in some parts of the Costa Brava, hampered the search. Their bodies were found at 11.30am, a few miles south of the Playa Grande beach. The winds and waves meant divers had poor visibility and also needed to be weighed down.
Last night, Miss Coggins’ boyfriend 36-year-old Mario Sassano – whose sisters were on the trip – said: ‘She has two children. She worked in Costco Wholesalers for the past three months, and at B&Q for seven years before that.
‘She was a hard-working girl – just beautiful. I can’t really put anything into words. I just doesn’t know what to say. I am just so sad.’
A spokesman for Lloret de Mar council said: ‘This appears to be a case where these women were acting irresponsibly. There had been red flags on the beaches all day because of the storm.’
Miss Coggins’ neighbour, Ted Lovatt, 84, said: ‘I was devastated when Mario told me. I could see he was in tears. He said, “I have some bad news,” and I wasn’t expecting what he did say. I couldn’t believe it. I said, “How did it happen?” He said she had drowned. He said she was only up to her ankles in the water and was dragged away.’
Mr Lovatt added: ‘She was a very bubbly sort of person. Always laughing. She used to play with her children.’ He said the family did not have enough money to pay to bring Miss Coggins’ body home.
Miss Aston lived in Birmingham with her husband. It is understood they have young children.
Lloret de Mar, about 50 miles north of Barcelona, is one of the most popular Costa Brava destinations. The Foreign Office confirmed two British nationals had died after being reported missing.