A three-year-old girl drowned in a swimming pool during a family holiday in Majorca, an inquest has heard. Eleri Ellesmere was discovered unresponsive in the pool at a private villa near Pollensa on the evening of 24 June and died in hospital the following day.
What happened on the holiday?
Eleri and her family, from New Tredegar in Caerphilly county, were staying at a rented villa with a private pool just under five miles (8km) from Pollensa, in the far north of the island. The area is popular with British families for its sandy beaches, and Villa Francisca, a two-bedroom villa, is described on booking websites as
“an ideal choice for a family holiday in the sun”.
Gwent Coroner's Court heard that family members and later paramedics both attempted CPR before Eleri was taken by ambulance to the Hospital Universitari Son Espases, the Spanish island's main hospital, 44 miles (70km) away in Palma, the capital.
What was the outcome?
Eleri died at the Hospital Universitari Son Espases on the following day. Coroner Rose Farmer said the cause of death was mechanical asphyxiation by drowning and respiratory failure. A full inquest will be held on 13 April 2027.
Eleri's body was flown back to the UK and has been formally identified by an undertaker, the inquest heard.
What has the family said?
Eleri's family said she was deeply loved and her parents now face
“the most devastating chapter a mother, father and surrounding family can experience”.
An online fundraiser has been set up by family member Shannen Hemmings to raise £10,000 to pay for Eleri's funeral and to provide financial support for her parents. It has so far raised more than £7,000.
Hemmings wrote that
“Eleri was deeply loved, and her loss has left an unimaginable emptiness in all of our lives”.
She said the funds raised would help ensure
“beautiful Eleri is given the funeral she truly deserves, a farewell filled with dignity, love and respect”.
She added it would also allow her parents
“the time and space to grieve without the added weight of financial worry, so they can focus on healing and leaning on one another during this heartbreaking time”.
Key Facts
- Eleri Ellesmere was three years old and from New Tredegar in Caerphilly county.
- She was found unresponsive in a private villa pool near Pollensa, Majorca, on 24 June.
- She died the following day at Hospital Universitari Son Espases in Palma.
- Coroner Rose Farmer said the cause of death was mechanical asphyxiation by drowning and respiratory failure.
- The full inquest is due to be held on 13 April 2027.
