Boy in a rush to see spider falls into pool and drowns

Morgan Spicer, who loved dressing up as the superhero Spider-Man, was holidaying with his family at a Spanish villa.

His twin brother shouted out that he had seen the bug, and Morgan apparently hurried over. On the way he slipped, hit his head, then plunged into the deep end.

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Friends of the family were sitting just yards away but were unaware of the accident.

Morgan's father Keith, 33, told the inquest the tragedy happened as he and his wife Tracey, 36, prepared to return home from a week-long trip in September last year.

"We were just a little bit distracted. Tracey was upstairs packing and I was getting a drink from the kitchen," he said.

"Morgan was playing nearby and [his brother] Mitchell called out that he had seen a spider. We believe that was when Morgan rushed and fell in into the pool.

"Obviously we didn't see anything. It was silent, there was no screaming or shouting. We lost him in a matter of two minutes."

Friends of the family, Terry and Linda Hall, had just arrived at the villa in Murcia, south-east Spain, which is owned by Mr Spicer's father.

They were sitting outside but were unable to see the boys, who were at the far end of the L-shaped pool and hidden by the corner of the villa.

It was only when Mr Spicer, who owns a runway lighting distribution business in Southend-on-Sea, realised he couldn't see his son that he started looking for him.

The inquest in Chelmsford heard he dived into the pool when he spotted his son's body and started to give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Paramedics then spent an hour unsuccessfully trying to revive Morgan.

Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray recorded an accident verdict and told the boy's sobbing parents: "I offer you my sincere sympathy for losing a little boy who probably had a bright future."

Speaking after the inquest, Mr and Mrs Spicer, from Great Baddow, Essex, said they had visited the villa a dozen times before with their sons. They were in the process of teaching the boys to swim.

Mrs Spicer, who works part-time at her husband's business, said the twins were incredibly close.

She said: "Morgan loved Spider-Man and loved to watch the films every day over and over again.

"He also loved to dress up as Spider-Man and would drag his outfit behind him into our bedroom every morning.

"Mitchell keeps asking for his brother, he idolised him.

"At first he kept asking for his brother three or four times a day and crying."

Mr Spicer added: "Our lives will never be the same after losing our precious son. We are just living with the guilt.

"The message to all parents with young children who can't swim is keep an eye on them at all times. It only takes 30 seconds to drown and it can be silent."