Devastated family of British schoolgirl, 13, who died after being found in Florida swimming pool pay tribute to ‘beautiful soul’ who will ‘never be forgotten’

The devastated family of a British girl who died while on holiday in Florida have described her as a “beautiful soul” who will “never be forgotten.”

Anna Beaumont, 13, of Cardiff, was found unconscious in a pool at Discovery Cove in Orlando on May 28.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said Anna was taken to the hospital in critical condition but died the next day.

The family, who were on a six-month dream holiday to Florida when tragedy struck, said in a statement: ‘Anna was a beautiful soul taken from us in a tragic accident. We are devastated by her loss, but we will never forget her.

“We would like to thank the emergency response teams and hospital staff in Orlando who worked so hard to save Anna’s life.

‘We will not make any further statements during this extremely difficult time and ask for privacy.’

Anna Beaumont, 13, pictured with her mother Elizabeth, who works at Cardiff University

Anna was a cyclist, like her father Peter (pictured with Anna), who trains triathletes and had raised £900 for Noah’s Ark children’s hospital with an Ironman ride alongside her father

Anna was also a ‘talented’ member of a local rowing club and, like the rest of her family, had a keen interest in sports

Andrew Williams, the headteacher of Anna’s school, Radyr Comprehensive, described her as a “cherished member of our school family” in a statement shared with the BBC on Sunday.

He said: ‘The very thought of losing a child is an unimaginable journey and I know I speak on behalf of the whole school community when I say our thoughts are with Anna’s family as they try to come to terms with their loss.

“Anna was a much-loved member of our school family and her absence will be deeply felt by the students, staff and all who had the privilege of knowing her.

“Her spirit, kindness and presence touched so many lives.”

Discovery Bay is described as an all-inclusive day resort and ‘tropical oasis’ that caters to families swim with dolphins and snorkel with thousands of tropical fish in the famous saltwater coral reef pool. It is not known where Anna got into trouble at the resort.

The company released a statement about the incident to local media, saying: ‘Our staff responded to an emergency involving a guest yesterday (May 28).

“Our team provided care and contacted Orange County Fire & Rescue.

‘When emergency services arrived, they took over and took the guest to a nearby hospital.

Anna Beaumont, described as super fit, was found unconscious in Orlando’s Discovery Cove (pictured)

‘Out of respect for the privacy of our guests, we do not provide health information. Our thoughts are with this family.”

A family friend said last night: ‘This is just so tragic. Like any family, they were very excited about the holiday.

“You never dream of coming home without a child.”

Anna was a cyclist like her father, who trains triathletes, and had raised £900 for Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital with an Ironman ride alongside her father.

Recently, the 13-year-old proudly posed with her bike at the finish line.

She was also a ‘talented’ member of a local rowing club and, like the rest of her family, had a keen interest in sports.

Colleagues of her mother Elizabeth, who works at Cardiff University, were described as devastated by her loss.

Anna Beaumont, 13, died the day after she was found in Discovery Cove

Anna was found unconscious at the Discovery Cove resort in Florida last Tuesday and died in hospital the next day. Pictured: Dolphin performance at Discovery Cove resort

Trevor Wing, chairman of Llandaff rowing club, said Anna was ‘a keen rower who had trained hard all winter and enjoyed the recent water sessions’.

He added: “She was a lovely and talented young lady and will be greatly missed.

‘The entire junior department and the rowing club would like to express their sincere condolences to Anna’s family.’

Regarding the death in Florida, a State Department spokesperson said: “We are in contact with the family following the death of a child in the United States and are providing consular support at this difficult time.”