Husband Electrocuted Trying to Save Wife in Horrific Hot Tub Tragedy

A family vacation in Spain turned into a nightmare after a husband and wife were found dead near a hot tub — and investigators now believe the man was electrocuted while desperately trying to save his wife.

Patrick and Thomasina Tobin were vacationing with their two children, ages 16 and 14, in Cullera, a coastal city near Valencia, when tragedy struck on Aug. 25.

The couple had been on vacation for just two days.

Their horrified children discovered their parents and called a relative before finding a neighbor who contacted emergency services. Patrick and Thomasina were pronounced dead at the scene.

For weeks, loved ones were left wondering how two healthy parents could suddenly die during what was supposed to be a relaxing family getaway.

Now, a Spanish coroner reportedly believes electrocution was the most likely cause.

Several other possibilities had initially been considered, including drowning, overheating and chemical poisoning. Local reports said preliminary autopsy findings showed both Patrick and Thomasina died from cardiopulmonary arrest.

But evidence from the scene has reportedly pointed investigators toward a far more terrifying scenario.

A family friend said one of the victims was found inside the hot tub while the other was lying beside it.

Investigators reportedly believe Thomasina may have gotten into trouble while in the water, prompting Patrick to rush in and try to pull her out.

Patrick was wet at the time, and his soaked arms may have acted as a conductor for the electrical current, according to preliminary findings.

Both victims were also reportedly found with scratch marks on their bodies.

“The assumption is that Paddy was trying to drag Thomasina out,” a family friend told the Daily Mail. “She was really small, but he was still wet and was then electrocuted himself.”

The friend said relatives had initially been completely baffled by the deaths.

“There was total confusion about how such an awful thing could have happened, and to some extent there still is,” the friend said.

Police initially described the deaths as some type of accident, but the family struggled to understand how one incident could have killed both parents.

The couple’s teenage children were cared for by the Spanish Red Cross and Cullera City Council following the tragedy and were offered psychological support. They are reportedly now staying with relatives in London.

Family members are still waiting for a complete explanation and want to know whether anyone could be held responsible.

“Of course this should never have happened, so I am sure there will be further action in the future,” the family friend said.

Although investigators have not yet produced a complete picture of exactly what happened, the friend said electrocution now appears more believable than the other theories originally considered.

Thomasina was born and raised in County Monaghan, Ireland, while Patrick was originally from New Zealand. The couple lived together in London.

Patrick had recently received a promotion with the London division of technology company HCLTech.

Thomasina worked as a quantity surveyor for luxury hotels.

The family had planned to spend a little more than two weeks in Valencia before their children returned to school.

Instead, just two days into the vacation, the teenagers were forced to confront the unimaginable loss of both of their parents.