It’s my understanding that a post-mortem examination has already established that they died by drowning.
If one considers that the brother and father entered the pool to try to recover the girl’s lifeless body from the depths, and that they had no life-guard skills to undertake such a desperate task, then any conjecture beyond accidental death by drowning seems far-fetched to me.
But the tragic story, once launched by the media, will surely be stripped of all its grisly meat as a dog gnaws a bone before it is consigned to the dustbin of history.
After all, it is that sentimental time of the year when the politicos are tanning their pallid hides in the Caribbean, and planning more ways to befuddle and exploit the rest of us like merry fook.
I was not aware that the autopsy results had been published, Peter. However, if as you say, the autopsy found no signs of anything untoward which might point to “why” they drowned - it seems it was a tragic accident - sad though it was…
It is tragic, the surviving mother deserves all our sympathy, and will no doubt be supported in her loss by the congregation of the church of which her husband was pastor.
Some members of the congregation of true believers may, in their heart of hearts, harbour thoughts of how wise it was of the man of God to take his family to a hotel in Spain, bearing in mind that his stipend was funded by their donations, instead of praying at the crib, his family humble supplicants at his side, for the Christmas Day service that usually plays a prominent part of Christian liturgy.
Only wondering…
Having had some professional and family dealings with these churches which do big business in British (and African) cities, I know that substantial tithes are part of congregational organisation, and it is doctrine that the more a born-again sinner pours into the church’s coffers and coincidentally the Pastor’s bank account, the greater the material wealth and other worldly and spiritual blessings the Creator will bestow on the faithful.
The Loooord giveth and the Loooord taketh away clarion call here @Peter_Goble
I still remember that Pastor who was interviewed on American TV with a loaded pistol on his desk…
halleloooooya
Give generously my children as the (bar)stewards move among you to continue the good loooord’s work -
(sotto voce) the good Looord needs to provide a new Mercedes
I fear that this thread is about to descend into frivolous speculation about the character of the deceased and I don’t want to go there.
But to answer your serious points…
It is often reported that drowning victims knew how to swim, but according to the UK government target for primary school children, that is only 25 metres - and 50% fail to achieve that. We can only hope that they do better than in other areas of the curriculum.
But this pool is only 6ft deep and an unconscious child would be expected to float at or near the surface, so even if she was in the deepest part of the pool, it would only be necessary to tow her a short distance to a shallower part where an adult would be able to stand. Anyway, wherever you were in the pool, you could never be more than 5 metres from the side.
When I went on a lifesaving course, they taught us to recite the mantra “Reach, throw, wade, row.” A swimming rescue should only be undertaken when no other option is feasible. So the question I would ask is what lifesaving equipment was available at the poolside? As a minimum, there should have been a pole and a lifebelt or float, as well as a qualified lifeguard. In the absence of these, the pool should have been closed and inaccessible to the public.
Finally, not wanting to be a killjoy, critics of American ways may be interested to know that Spain has no shortage of ambulance chasers. The family have found a Spanish lawyer (or maybe he found them) who has said that the matter needs more in- depth investigation. An unfortunate choice of words, but perhaps the fault is in the translation…
Well, it must be my fault because I raised the issue of ambulance chasers and indulged myself in the musings of @Peter_Goble on the religious theme but I offer no apology.
Life is too short to be sentimental about it. Shit happens and nothing we say or do here will change any of this.
If my attitude offends then tough.
It isn’t sentimental to think it is a bit off and tasteless to be speculating about the gruesome details of an accident befalling people we don’t know, speculation is just prurient. If my attitude offends then tough.
For the mother emotions are still raw and it’s perhaps not surprising that she is looking for answers despite the authorities saying they can’t find any fault with the pool, maybe time will allow her to accept that this was just an awful accident.
Yes I have to say I am finding the tone of some of these posts distasteful I am sure that if Graham Lees family had drowned he would have found it highly entertaining that we were all amused
Well, here goes - Divert and distract works for no-show BloJo
If I flick my christmas pudding across the dinner party table at you @anon22869222 will you flick back some mince pie please (pretty please…)
Or some Stollen…
I tried to make stollen once. Took forever with many different processes, and then didn’t look or taste as good as a shop bought one. Never again, better to live a stollen free life.
It may seem tasteless, Véro, but the thread (and I think the media coverage) treated the story as a ‘human interest’ one, and was designed to invite and encourage speculation.
This may be prurient to some, but it acknowledges the inevitability of normal and, in my view, natural human tendency to look at such situations ‘in the round’, and to uncover possible truths in doing so: truths that are necessary in the long run to help in resolution and healing.
I imagine the church in question is in turmoil; and that many torrid questions about the church’s affairs will have surfaced; questions that may have been obscured and camouflaged by pious rhetoric and ‘coercive control’ at the top.
Knowing how some of these churches work, it may be a good thing that people can speak frankly about things, whilst recognising that all have sinned and fallen short, and need to be redeemed.
Recognising that the sensibilities of some here have been hurt, I nevertheless see no reason to apologise for voicing my opinions, like @graham, but will now shut up, pass the Stollen please, I love it.
).
