Tui urged to reconsider safety measures after boy drowns on holiday in Greece

A travel company will be urged to review its safety measures after a five-year-old boy drowned in a swimming pool on a family holiday to Greece.

Theo Treharne-Jones died after being found in an outdoor pool at Atlantica Holiday Village on Kos in June 2019.

Theo, from Merthyr Tydfil, described as a “happy, loving and affectionate” child, was on a Tui holiday with his parents Richard and Nina, siblings and extended family when he died.

Following an inquest at Pontypridd Coroner’s Court, assistant coroner Gavin Knox concluded Theo’s death was an accident.

Mr Knox said the case had left him “concerned” about the safety of vulnerable children and adults in hotels.

Chains

Nina Treharne told the court the family had stayed at the same hotel the previous year, but in different apartments, which had door chains inside the rooms to prevent children leaving.

But when the family arrived at the complex late at night, they realised this apartment did not have chains fitted to the door.

Theo’s parents, who were “alert to the possibility” he could attempt to leave the room himself, placed prams and cases in front of the door to act as a barrier.

The inquest heard Theo had been diagnosed with the neurodevelopmental disorder Smith-Magenis syndrome, which affected his sleep and left him non-verbal, with no sense of danger.

“He has been described to me as happy, loving and affectionate, with an infectious laugh and smile,” Mr Knox said.

“He loved going swimming and went once a week with his school.”

Ms Treharne said she woke up on the morning of June 15 to hear shouting from outside.

Theo had been found in the shallow end of the pool by a holidaymaker, who pulled him out.

Resort staff and other holidaymakers carried out CPR and Theo was taken to hospital by ambulance but later died.

Inquest

The inquest heard the five-year-old had been able to use the door handle to exit the apartment himself.

Theo was last seen by another hotel guest playing by the poolside, who had mistakenly believed he was accompanied by his mother.

There were no lifeguards on duty at the time as the pools were closed, and no physical barriers around the pool to prevent unsupervised access by children.

Libby Jones, general manager for overseas health and safety at Tui, said it was considered, following Theo’s death, whether to put chains on the hotel doors, but it was believed this would pose fire safety issues.

Ms Jones added that installing barriers around the swimming pool could result in children climbing on them and thereby create an additional risk.

Concluding, Mr Knox said he would issue a Prevention of Future Deaths report to Tui and Abta, a trade association for UK travel agents, to encourage them to “reconsider the specific circumstances” surrounding Theo’s death.

“I’m still concerned that families with vulnerable children, or even vulnerable adults, are still in a position where somebody may, potentially unsupervised, leave a hotel room and travel without any form of barrier to any form of hazard,” Mr Knox said.

“In Theo’s case, it was a swimming pool.”

Tui have been contacted for comment.