The heartbroken parents of a 13-year-old British schoolgirl who died after being found in a Florida swimming pool have flown home without her.
Anna Beaumont, 13, described as superfit, was found unresponsive at Discovery Cove in Orlando. She died the next day at around 11.25am on Tuesday, May 29.
Her brother Jake as well as her parents Peter and Elizabeth have had to make the agonising trip back home without her.
Anna was a cyclist like her father, who trains triathletes, and had raised £900 for the Noah’s Ark children’s hospital with an Ironman ride next to her father.
Anna Beaumont, 13, pictured with her mother Elizabeth who works at Cardiff University
Anna was a cyclist like her father Peter (pictured with Anna) who trains triathletes and had raised £900 for the Noah’s Ark children’s hospital with an Ironman ride next to her father
Anna Beaumont, described as superfit, was found unresponsive at Discovery Cove in Orlando (pictured)
She was also a ‘talented’ member of a local rowing club and had a keen interest in sports along with the rest of her family.
A friend said: ‘This is just so tragic. Like any family they were very excited by the holiday. You never dream of coming home without a child.’
Colleagues of her mother Elizabeth, who works at Cardiff University, were described as devastated at her loss.
Trevor Wing, Chairman of Llandaff rowing club, said Anna was ‘a keen rower who had been training hard all winter and was enjoying the recent water sessions’.
He added: ‘She was a lovely and talented young lady and will be greatly missed.
‘All the junior section and the rowing club wish to express their heartfelt condolences to Anna’s family.’
Anna was also a ‘talented’ member of a local rowing club and had a keen interest in sports along with the rest of her family
Staff at her school in Radyr, Cardiff, today comfort classmates just two years after fellow pupil Aryan Ghoniya, 13, vanished in the River Taff while playing with friends.
Both attended Radyr Comprehensive where the headteacher Andrew Williams called Anna ‘a cherished member of our school family’.
Mr Williams: ‘The very thought of losing a child is an unimaginable journey and I know I speak on behalf of the whole school community when I say that our thoughts are with Anna’s family as they try to come to terms with their loss.
‘Anna was a cherished member of our school family, and her absence will be profoundly felt by pupils, staff and all who had the privilege of knowing her. Her spirit, kindness and presence touched so many lives.’
In an email to parents, the school said it would be briefing staff on how best to support pupils in the coming weeks after the loss of the year 8 pupil.
He urged them to ‘listen and encourage them to talk about their feelings’.
Regarding the death in Florida, a Foreign Office spokesperson said: ‘We are in touch with the family following the death of a child in the United States, and are providing consular support during this difficult time.’
Anna Beaumont, 13, died the day after she was found at Discovery Cove
Anna was found unresponsive at the Discovery Cove resort in Florida (pictured) last Tuesday, and died the next day in hospital
Discovery Cove describes itself as an ‘all-inclusive day resort’ on its website and says it offers opportunities to swim with dolphins and snorkel among tropical fish. It is a sister park of SeaWorld Orlando and Aquatica Orlando.
In a statement, police said: ‘We are sorry to report that on May 29, 2024, 13-year-old Anna Beaumont was pronounced deceased at the hospital. Any information about the cause and manner of her death will need to come from the Medical Examiner’s Office.’
A spokesperson for the site stated that its ‘staff responded to an emergency involving a guest’ and that they contacted Orange County Fire & Rescue.
‘When emergency personnel arrived, they took over care and transported the guest to a nearby hospital. Our thoughts are with this family, and out of respect for their privacy, we won’t be commenting further,’ said the spokesperson.
