Boy, 5, drowned in pool after being separated from parents at holiday park

Young Robin Caliskan was on holiday with his parents and brother when he died

A five-year-old boy drowned in a swimming pool on holiday after becoming separated from his parents, an inquest has heard. Young Robin Caliskan was discovered face down at the bottom of a holiday park swimming pool.

Members of the public and paramedics battled to resuscitate the boy but he could not be saved. He died at the Atlantic Reach Holiday Park, near Newquay, in Cornwall.

A court heard how the boy was on holiday with his family on July 31 last year. Shortly after arriving and setting up their tent, the family went for a swim at the centre's indoor pool.

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Speaking through an interpreter, Robin's dad Cemal Caliskan said: "I looked at the big pool at first, it was very crowded, there were adults and lots of children, when I saw the children swimming I thought "fine" so me and Robin headed to the big pool."

The electrical engineer, who is originally from Turkey, said he went with Robin to the baby pool after about 10 minutes. They were joined by his wife and other son before taking a family photo together, the Truro hearing was told.

Mr Caliskan said: "I took our little boy from my wife, I decided to look after him for a bit and I said to my wife "if you want to go to the big pool, you can" and she decided to go in the big pool. Robin was just playing there, my wife was heading to the big pool and Robin said "can I go please?".

"He wanted to go with my wife, his mum, and I said "OK, but you need to stay with your mum, go with your mum". Then he followed my wife. It was so crowded in the big pool I can't be 100 per cent sure if Robin was following my wife or beside her.

"I could just see my wife and there was a child next to my wife and I thought that was Robin." He added: "I was sure he was with her."

Mr Caliskan said that after a while, his wife came back and they realised that Robin, from Plymouth, was not there. The dad added: "We noticed that people had taken someone out of the pool and they all gathered at one location and we decided to go there as well.

"When I arrived there I saw two people trying to give treatment to Robin." The inquest was shown photos of signs put up at the pool including sets of rules posted in the men's and women's changing rooms which stated: "No lifeguard on duty".

A further sign stated the rule at the poolside. Mr Caliskan told the inquest he had not seen the signs and added that he had seen photos on Facebook which showed lifeguards at the pool.

He said he had seen someone in a 'red and yellow outfit' at the pool. He added: "I didn't see signs about lifeguards, if I did see that I would definitely go back to reception and say: "I thought you had lifeguards?" and ask them questions."

In a statement, paediatric consultant Samantha Holden said that a post-mortem examination gave a cause of death of drowning. The hearing continues.