Schoolgirl, 16, drowns as boat capsizes during strong winds and waves on horror family sailing trip

A 16-year-old schoolgirl tragically drowned while on a family sailing trip after a boat capsized leaving her trapped.

Daira Melissa Arias Mena, a tenth-grade student at the Normal Superior Santa Teresita School in Bahia Solano, Colombia , sadly died on October 13. The teenager was in a boat that, apparently due to strong winds and waves, overturned.

The adverse weather had reportedly caused the engine to stall, leading to the fatal accident as the vessel could no longer be controlled and tipped over. Some of the occupants, including Daira, were also allegedly not wearing life jackets.

The others managed to save themselves, but Daira reportedly ended up trapped underneath the boat. Her lifeless body was found floating in the water hours later. The student was known among teachers and friends at her school for her academic dedication and her 'spirit of solidarity'.

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She had been nominated for the student comptroller position in 2024 and was well-liked for her happy personality and camaraderie. The school said in a statement: "Our school, Normal Superior Santa Teresita, is in mourning for Daira Melissa Arias, a tenth-grade student. We extend our deepest condolences to her family, classmates, teachers, friends, neighbours, and acquaintances."

The authorities are continuing their investigations to determine the official cause of the accident and the girl's death. It comes after a British holidaymaker who went for a dip in the sea at a popular Spanish resort died in a suspected drowning.

Emergency responders rushed to Guardamar beach, in Costa Blanca, Spain, after the 72-year-old was pulled unconscious from the water earlier. They tried, unsuccessfully, to revive the older man following the tragedy at around 3.30pm, finding he had gone into cardiac arrest.

The beach where the incident took place was just south of the Guardamar del Segura town centre, a short drive from Torrevieja, a popular hotspot for Brit holidaymakers. The Brit was the seventh person to die so far already this year on a Guardamar beach, following Bryn Thomas, from Southampton, was one of two men who lost their lives in June.

Mr Thomas died at the La Roqueta beach after racing into the sea to help two children aged six and seven who had gotten into difficulty in the water. An inquest was opened into the 52-year-old’s death in Winchester at the start of July. He died alongside a 46-year-old man from Poland who also went to help the youngsters. Well-placed sources said they believed the unnamed Brit at the centre of the latest tragedy could have suffered a health problem prior to his drowning.