Robin Caliskan died in the pool(Image: Cemal Caliskan)

Five-year-old drowned hours into three-day holiday park break after becoming separated from parents

The family had gone swimming shortly after pitching their tent at the park in Cornwall only for tragedy to strike

by · NottinghamshireLive

A five-year-old boy drowned at a holiday park swimming pool after becoming separated from his parents, an inquest has heard. Robin Caliskan, from Plymouth, was found face down in the pool at the Atlantic Reach Holiday Park, near Newquay.

An inquest on Tuesday was told Cemal and Ferzane Caliskan had decided to take a three-night break in Cornwall with their two sons - Robin and six-month-old Renas - on July 31 last year. They set up their tent at the park at 2pm then shortly afterwards headed to the centre's indoor pool to go swimming.

Tragically Robin became separated from his parents and was discovered at the bottom of the pool. He died despite efforts by members of the public and paramedics to resuscitate him, the inquest heard.

Speaking through an interpreter, Robin’s father, Cemal Caliskan, an electrical engineer originally from Turkey, 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.”

He said after about 10 minutes, he and Robin went to the baby pool where they joined his wife and other son and they took a family photo together, reports Cornwall Live. He 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 Caliskan and his mother, Ferzane, on holiday in Turkey(Image: Cemal Caliskan)

He added: “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% 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.”

But it was only when his wife returned they realised that Robin was missing. He said: “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.”

Robin and his baby brother, Renas, moments before the tragic incident(Image: Cemal Caliskan)

The two pools were separated by frosted glass and Mr Caliskan said he was not sure whether his wife was aware that their older son was with her. 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”. There was a further sign giving the same detail at the poolside.

Mr Caliskan told the hearing he had not seen the signs. He added he had seen photos on Facebook which showed lifeguards at the pool, and 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.