Pictured: Briton, 21, who drowned in hotel swimming pool during Cyprus holiday with his parents – as family pay tribute to ‘brilliant young man’
- The Brit who drowned in Cyprus on holiday has been named as Ben Woods, 21
- The young man from Wigan, was found unconscious by side of the hotel pool
- Guests pulled him out of the pool He died shortly after in intensive care
The 21-year-old rugby player who drowned in a hotel swimming pool while on holiday in Cyprus has been named as Ben Woods
The 21-year-old rugby player who drowned in a hotel swimming pool while on holiday in Cyprus has been named as Ben Woods.
The young man from Leigh, Wigan, was found unconscious by the pool at the King Evelthon Hotel in Paphos on Tuesday.
Guests pulled him out of the pool and he died shortly after in intensive care at Paphos General Hospital.
Tributes have flooded in for Woods, whose family said he was a ‘brilliant young man’ who will be ‘truly missed.’
His aunt Joanne Bennet told the Sun Online: ‘Ben was the life and soul of any party, he would just walk into a room and it’d just [light] up.’
Ben was on holiday in Cyprus with his parents when he was found.
‘We are going to miss him, we can’t believe what happened, we just can’t,’ she added, saying his mother is too traumatised to speak.
‘A 21-year-old, we are shocked. We just can’t believe it.’
A friend of Ben’s, posting on social media, said: ‘Really am lost for words, what a cruel world we live in RIP to one of the most down-to-earth, caring and realist lads you’ll ever meet Ben Woods you’ll be well and truly missed by us all.’
Tributes have flooded in for Woods, whose family said he was a ‘brilliant young man’ who will be ‘truly missed’
Leigh East Rugby Club, where Ben had played since he was a boy, said: ‘It is with the greatest sadness we have to announce the passing of Ben Woods one of our young Open Age players after an accident while on holiday with his family.
‘Ben had played at Leigh East from a very young age and had progressed through the age groups to become a valuable member of our club. Ben was always there with a cheeky smile and will be sorely missed.
‘Our thoughts and condolences go out to Mick, Mel and Josh, his family and friends at this saddest of times.
‘RIP young man you will never be forgotten.’
Mike Latham, chairman of Leigh Centurions, of which Ben was a former member, said: ‘On behalf of everyone at the club, we send our most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Ben Woods, brother of our former player Josh, on their tragic loss.
‘Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.’
‘We are going to miss him, we can’t believe what happened, we just can’t,’ she added, saying his mother is too traumatised to speak
Guests desperately tried to revive the man with CPR – and the lifeguards only noticed the victim was unconscious after an entertainer screamed at them that the man had been pulled out of the pool, a witness was reported as saying.
One person who witnessed the incident said the lifeguards were sitting too far from where the body was found.
‘From where they sit they would not be able to see what’s happening, it’s a good 100m away,’ he said. ‘They were just two lads probably in their early 20s if that and they didn’t seem geared up for the job.’
The lifeguards eventually performed CPR on the man and tried to revive him at the edge of the pool while they awaited paramedics.
Ben failed to regain consciousness and he was rushed by ambulance to Paphos General Hospital.
He was intubated and admitted to the intensive care unit before he was pronounced dead at 9pm on Tuesday.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: ‘We are providing consular support to the family of a British national who has died in Cyprus.’
Police are currently investigating the incident but have ruled out the possibility of any criminal activity.
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