British girl, 13, dies after being found ‘unresponsive’ in Orlando’s Discovery Cove pool
Anna Beaumont’s ‘spirit, kindness and presence touched so many lives’, her headteacher said
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A British schoolgirl died after accidentally drowning in a pool during a family holiday to Florida.
Anna Beaumont, 13, from Cardiff, was found unresponsive in a pool at Discovery Cove in Orlando, Florida on Tuesday.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said she was transported to hospital in a critical condition but died the next day.
In a statement, the 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.”
In a statement shared with the BBC, Andrew Williams, headteacher at Ms Beaumont’s school, Radyr Comprehensive, said: “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.”
A Foreign Office spokeswoman 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.”
The medical examiner’s office in Orlando on Thursday said that the manner of death was accidental and the cause was drowning.
Discovery Cove is part of the group of theme parks owned by United Parks & Resorts Inc., formerly called SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. The company changed its corporate name in February. Other park brands owned by the company include SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Discovery Cove and Sesame Place.
The company released a statement about the incident to local media, which said: “Our staff responded to an emergency involving a guest yesterday (May 28).
“Our team provided care and contacted Orange County Fire & Rescue.
“When emergency personnel arrived, they took over care and transported the guest to a nearby hospital.
“Out of respect for privacy of our guests, we do not provide any health information. Our thoughts are with this family.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments