Irish woman and husband may have died after possible jacuzzi mechanical failure in Spain

The couple and their two children, aged 14 and 15, were on holiday in a luxury rental villa in Cullera, near Valencia. File picture

An Irish woman and her husband who were found dead near a jacuzzi at a Spanish holiday villa may have died due to a possible mechanical failure.

The woman, 45, is originally from Co Monaghan but had been living in the UK for some time. Her husband, 50, was from New Zealand, it is understood.

The couple and their two children, aged 14 and 15, were on holiday in a luxury rental villa in Cullera, near Valencia.

The children found the couple dead near the jacuzzi at around 5pm on Tuesday afternoon and alerted a neighbour, who called emergency services.

Investigation moves towards accidental deaths

Investigators now believe the deaths may have been accidental, possibly as a result of a mechanical failure in the jacuzzi, according to Spanish newspaper El País.

Initially, there was some concern that the couple may have been murdered, as small cuts or puncture wounds were found on the bodies.

However, the investigation is now moving towards the hypothesis that the deaths were accidental and that the wounds on one of the bodies, in particular, may have been caused while attempting to rescue their spouse from the water.

An autopsy was carried out on the bodies on Wednesday at the Valencia Institute of Legal Medicine.

The results will likely determine the course of the investigation and should rule in or out any possible third-party involvement in the couple’s deaths.

Three of the family’s relatives have now flown from Ireland to Spain to be with the children.

Family had been staying in Cullera 

Cullera, which has around 24,600 inhabitants, reaches around 150,000 residents in the summer.

The family’s rented villa was in an elevated position, with views over the Gulf of Valencia.

A statement from Spanish police issued to the Irish Examiner said that on first inspection, a violent death had been ruled out, but that the investigation remained ongoing.