Hot Tub Hazards: How Suction, Electrocution, and Chemical Leaks Claimed a Couple's Lives

On the afternoon of August 24, Thomasina Tobin and her husband Patrick settled into a hot tub at a luxury villa in Cullera, Spain, after a family barbecue with their two teenage sons. The Irish businesswoman, 51, and her New Zealand-born husband were meant to be unwinding at the end of another day of holiday. Neither would emerge alive.

At around 7 p.m., their 14-year-old son went looking for them at the spa area and found both parents lying motionless by the hot tub's exit step. Believing they were asleep, he left them undisturbed and went to prepare dinner with his 16-year-old brother. The next morning, after discovering their bed had not been slept in, he returned to the spa to find them still in the same position. A neighbor's son, a nurse, came to help but found there was nothing to be done. An autopsy determined both had suffered cardiac arrest, with preliminary findings pointing to acute stress brought on by physical exhaustion and desperation.

Investigators are pursuing three distinct theories about what killed the couple. The first centers on suction entrapment—the hot tub's water circulation system may have created a powerful vacuum that trapped one or both of them. When drain covers are missing, broken, or poorly designed, a circulating pump can generate a seal so strong it becomes nearly impossible to escape. A four-year-old girl named Isabella Hristova experienced this in 2017 when she was sucked into a hot tub filter; her mother recalled screaming and pulling with all her strength but being unable to free her daughter until a lifeguard cut the power. However, a local spa technician, Francisco Quero, expressed skepticism about this theory in the Tobins' case. He argued that a privately owned hot tub motor typically runs on only two or three horsepower—equivalent to a large lawnmower—and would be unlikely to trap two full-grown adults. Even if the safety grate were removed, he suggested an adult would likely escape with only bruises. "It is impossible to get stuck in one of these devices and not be able to get out," he told investigators.

A second theory involves electrocution. Authorities believe one person may have suffered a medical emergency or electrical fault, prompting the other to attempt a rescue, only to be struck by another mechanical failure or electric shock. In June 2024, a similar tragedy unfolded in Mexico when Jorge Guillen and his wife Lizette Zambrano entered a hot tub at a resort in Puerto Peñasco. Lizette recalled the moment: "The last thing I remember him saying is, 'Oh sh—t.' And it's the same time that I felt the first electric shock, and then it happened over and over and over, and I didn't hear him again." Onlookers tried to pull Jorge from the water, but the current was too strong. He was 43 years old. Health and safety consultant Andy Wilkinson warned that electrocution risks extend beyond the water itself—wet hands touching standard electrical plugs or switches pose serious danger.

The third possibility is chemical poisoning. Investigators noted cloudy water and a powerful chemical smell in the hot tub. According to the CDC, a properly chlorinated hot tub has little odor; a strong chemical smell signals a problem. Toxic fumes such as excess chlorine, chloramines, or other chemical byproducts can accumulate in poorly ventilated hot tubs or during chemical malfunctions. Breathing concentrated vapors can cause dizziness, respiratory distress, and rapid loss of consciousness—sometimes called a "sweet death" because victims lose awareness without experiencing the sensation of suffocation. This would explain why neither son heard cries for help. Toxicology experts note that when temperatures rise enough to create steam, that steam can carry chemical compounds directly into the lungs.

While hot tub deaths remain rare, Wilkinson emphasized that prevention depends on consistent maintenance. Drain covers must be checked regularly and replaced if cracked or loose. Electrical systems—plugs, wiring, switches, and outlets—require inspection to ensure they remain waterproof and functional. Chemical levels must be properly balanced and monitored. The Tobins' death, still under investigation, serves as a stark reminder that the risks are real and often invisible until it is too late.