Thomasina Tobin, 51, and her husband Patrick, 48, who lived in London, suffered cardiac arrests before being found dead by their children inside a jacuzzi in Spain20:37, 30 Aug 2026Updated 20:41, 30 Aug 2026A married couple who were found dead by their children inside a jacuzzi at a Spanish villa both suffered cardiac arrests, it has emerged.‌Thomasina Tobin, 51, and her husband Patrick, 48, suffered fatal heart stoppages after becoming trapped inside the jacuzzi while holidaying at a villa near Valencia, according to post mortem records.‌The pair, who were living in London, were discovered by their two teenage children in the upmarket residential estate of Cap Blanc in Cullera last Tuesday.‌A post mortem said that early analysis indicated the couple had suffered "acute stress following physical exhaustion" while trying to save themselves, which caused their hearts to stop.A second theory was that one had been electrocuted and the other died trying to rescue them."Preliminary analyses indicate that the victims suffered cardiac arrest brought on by acute stress following physical exhaustion and the desperation of the moment," Valencia newspaper Las Provincias reported.‌Mrs Tobin, originally from Castleblayney in Co Monaghan, Ireland, was a quantity surveyor. Her husband Patrick, 48, was from New Zealand.The couple's death was initially being probed by homicide detectives after marks and scratches were found on both bodies, but foul play was quickly ruled out.‌Police are now looking into the possibility that they died in a freak accident, with a third examination of the jacuzzi having taken place alongside an industrial expert.The expert, who joined police at the request of a judge, analysed the power of the suction fittings in the jacuzzi. Detectives are investigating whether the tub's hydro-massage system could have triggered a strong suction effect that trapped the couple in the water, Las Provincias said.The paper says: "According to the first investigations, the excessive suction force would have imprisoned the couple inside the bathtub, which triggered a situation of extreme anguish and desperate physical effort to free themselves from the hydraulic grip.‌"The autopsy findings almost definitively reinforce the theory of accidental entrapment. "Preliminary analyses indicate that the victims suffered cardiac arrest brought on by acute stress following physical exhaustion and the desperation of the moment."It also added that the scratches on their bodies could have stemmed from the pair trying to save one other.Another possibility is that one victim may have suffered the cardiac arrest due to electrocution from a suspected fault in the tub and the other died trying to save them, the publication added.‌Mrs Tobin was a member of the highly respected McArdle family from Castleblayney, but had lived and worked in London for around 20 years. She attended Trinity College Dublin before working as a Chartered Surveyor, including on major sites across London like the Ritz and Shard.Her father Tommy McArdle, is a renowned playwright, actor and producer who formerly directed RTÉ's drama Glenroe.The Department of Foreign Affairs previously confirmed it was aware of the incident and confirmed it was providing consular assistance in the case of one Irish citizen, reports the Irish Mirror.Article continues belowInitial reports said both Mr and Mrs Tobin were Irish, but it was later found that he was from New Zealand.A spokeswoman said: "The Department is aware of this case and is providing consular assistance in the case of the Irish citizen concerned. As with all consular cases, the Department does not comment on the details of individual cases."