Irish couple found dead in jacuzzi at Spanish resort

Gerard Couzens

Police are investigating the deaths of an Irish couple found dead in a jacuzzi at a Spanish coastal resort.

Their two young children reportedly alerted the homeowner after finding their bodies inside the hot tub at their rented villa.

Homicide squad officers are leading the ongoing probe after the first cops who reached the scene found “possible evidence” a crime had taken place.

Local reports said the pair, aged 50 and 45, had injuries consistent with “puncture wounds” although the possibility they suffered an accident while they were in the jacuzzi has not yet been ruled out.

The grim discovery was made yesterday afternoon on an upmarket residential estate called Cap Blanc in Cullera, a town of around 25,000 inhabitants 25 miles south of the east coast city of Valencia.

Local police employed by Cullera Town Hall were mobilised along with the Civil Guard, the force which is leading the ongoing investigation.

Confirming their nationalities this morning, a spokesman for the Civil Guard in Valencia said: “The bodies of a man aged 50 and a woman aged 45 were found yesterday at a residential property in the municipality of Cullera. Both were Irish.

“Their children discovered the bodies in a jacuzzi and alerted the authorities.

“I’m not in a position to say exactly why but the first officers who reached the scene found evidence pointing to the possibility the couple might not have died of natural causes and therefore a specialist Civil Guard homicide unit in Valencia was mobilised to take charge of the ongoing investigation.

“Nothing has yet been ruled out.”

Water sample

A sample of the water in the jacuzzi, described in one local report as “cloudy",was taken so it can be analysed in a specialist laboratory.

The couple’s “traumatised” two children, who are aged 14 and 16 and are said to have special needs, are being cared for by social workers assisted by a psychologist.

A source close to the investigation said today: “This is not necessarily going to have a quick resolution and the ongoing probe will take time to complete.

“It’s all very recent still and the autopsies which will help to determine how the couple died have not yet taken place."

Investigation

Another said: "It's normal a water sample was taken from the jacuzzi the couple were found in.

“The analysis could help investigators for example in finding out whether it contains DNA belonging to a third person.”

It was not immediately clear this morning how long the couple found dead had been living in the area.

Cap Blanc is a popular golden-sand beach and residential neighbourhood in Cullera, situated near the resort’s lighthouse.

The gated community’s villas and apartments have views of the Mediterranean Sea.

Cap Blanc beach is a 630-metre long semi-urban beach.

An uncle of the two children is said to be preparing to travel to Spain from Ireland later today.

The youngsters have been taken to a hotel in Cullera where they are expected to be reunited with their relative in the coming hours.

The bodies of the Irish couple have been taken to a Forensic Medicine Institute in Valencia so autopsies can take place.

They were removed from the scene just before midnight last night.