Costa del Sol: Man and children drowned 'in tragic accident'

The sprawling Club La Costa World resort has several swimming pools

The drowning of a man and his two children in a resort swimming pool on the Costa del Sol was a "tragic accident", the hotel owners have said.

The three family members were found unresponsive on Christmas Eve at Club La Costa World, near Fuengirola.

Reports suggest that a nine-year-old British girl got into difficulties in the water and her father and 16-year-old brother tried to rescue her.

Police in Spain launched an investigation into the deaths.

In a statement released on Christmas Day the owners of Club La Costa World said: "The Guardia Civil have carried out a full investigation which found no concerns relating to the pool in question or procedures in place, which leaves us to believe this was a tragic accident which has left everyone surrounding the incident in shock.

"Naturally, our primary concern remains the care and support of the remaining family members."

Locally-based freelance journalist Gerard Couzens said that the hotel had confirmed it had reopened the pool after it was given permission to do so by police.

"The message from the hotel is very clear. They were given permission to reopen the pool by the police yesterday," he told BBC Breakfast.

"That pool where this terrible tragedy occurred on Christmas Eve is open for use again. And the management are saying the police have given the pool a clean bill of health."

The Foreign Office has said it is supporting a British woman in Spain.

The father and daughter were both British while the brother was American, it is understood.

• Three members of same family 'drown' at resort

Local journalist Fernando Torres told the BBC it was a shocking scene.

"The resort workers heard the screaming and they tried to do CPR (resuscitation) as well, but they couldn't help them," he said.

"Then the emergency doctors came and they tried for 30-35 minutes, but they couldn't revive them."