Twin drowns during Disneyland trip

A five-year-old boy drowned after falling into a pool near Disneyland Paris an hour after arriving on a holiday to celebrate his birthday. Skip related content

Colum Canning, from the Springtown Road in Cregan, Derry, went to the French resort on Thursday with his twin brother Kieran, seven-year-old sister Caitlin and parents David and Karen.

The family had just checked in at the nearby Explorers Hotel when the accident happened. It is understood Colum was playing with his twin and sister on the ground floor of the building when he disappeared from his mother's view for a few moments.

He was found a short time later in the pool and was pulled from the water by another guest but had already slipped into unconsciousness.

Colum died in hospital on Saturday when his parents took the decision to switch off his life support machine.

His aunt, Sophie Martin Canning, said: "Colum was a lovely five-year-old boy. He was loving and full of mischief. The twins were inseparable. They just could not be separated ever."

The family had gone to the Disneyland resort for Christmas and to celebrate the twins birthday on Boxing day.