How your hot tub can kill you: Experts warn of the hidden danger that can pin victims underwater

A little-known danger can turn a luxury hot tub into a death trap as it 'sucks' people below the water.   

The hazard, known as suction entrapment, occurs when a bather blocks the powerful drain or suction outlet that feeds water into the tub's filtration and jets. 

The resulting vacuum and pressure can be so powerful that victims become pinned and are unable to free themselves. In some cases, other adults have struggled to pull trapped people to safety.

It comes as investigators are examining whether a powerful suction system played a role in the deaths of a holidaying couple found in a villa in Cullera, near Valencia.

‘There’s three types of entrapment that you have related to suction outlets, especially in a hot tub,' Matt Reynolds, a forensic engineer and aquatic safety expert who investigates swimming pool and hot tub accidents, told the Daily Mail.

‘One would be hair entanglement, where typically its teenage or adult females who have long hair and it gets stuck in the drain and causes someone to be submerged underwater.

‘Another would be body entrapment. When that happens you make a seal, typically with the torso area, over the suction outlet. Typically, that can’t be broken without turning the pump off.'

The third is finger entrapment, he explained, which occurs when a finger slips into a small hole or damaged drain cover and gets stuck by friction. 

One tragic case involved seven-year-old Virginia Graeme Baker, who died after becoming trapped by the drain in a spa hot tub in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the US in 2002.

The force holding her underwater was reportedly so strong that adults trying to rescue her could not pull her free until the drain cover broke.

Her grandfather, James Baker, a former Secretary of State, and her family campaigned to introduced a safety act, which led to sweeping reforms and new requirements for anti-entrapment devices in pools and spas across the country.

However, similar requirements are not universally adopted and standards can vary significantly from one country to another.   

Another case involves a 14-year-old boy who suffered severe internal injuries when his intestines were sucked out by a swimming pool filter at a Spanish leisure centre in 2017.

Then, in 2021, a father issued a dire warning to fellow parents about hot tubs after his son was left unconscious when he was ‘sucked into a filter’.

Alex Williams, from Shrewsbury, Shropshire, said his young son Harry had been enjoying the tub when he was suddenly pulled beneath the water by a filter outlet.

Thankfully, his family witnessed the incident, but it took the strength of three men to release him and pull him to the surface where they performed CPR.

Given their difference in size and strength, suction entrapment is significantly more common in children than adults.

Modern pools and spas can incorporate safety features designed to reduce the risk, including compliant drain covers, multiple suction outlets and systems designed to limit or release dangerous suction.

Safety campaigners advise bathers never to sit on drains or use spas where covers appear damaged or missing.

Experts are investigating whether a powerful suction system played a role in the deaths of the holidaymakers found at a villa in Spain.

Thomasina Tobin, 51, and her husband Patrick Tobin, 48, were discovered by their teenage children after they failed to return from using the property's jacuzzi.

Spanish authorities have not yet confirmed the exact cause of death and toxicology tests are ongoing.

However, reports from Spain suggest investigators are exploring the possibility that one of the pair became trapped by the hot tub’s circulation system and the other attempted a rescue.

Postmortem exams conducted on Ms Tobin, from Co Monaghan, Ireland, and Mr Tobin, originally from New Zealand, ruled out foul play, and no signs of forced entry or suspicious activity on nearby CCTV cameras were detected.

Marks and scratches were reportedly found on both bodies, as well as blood in the cloudy water of the hot tub, and a strong chemical smell was noted by police.

Local newspapers said suction marks were found on the couple.

However, they were allegedly more pronounced on Mr Tobin – leading investigators to believe he was pulled under water first and his wife passed away attempting to rescue him.

‘According to initial investigations, the excessive suction force would have imprisoned the couple inside the bathtub, which triggered a situation of extreme anguish and desperate physical effort to free themselves from the hydraulic grip,’ Valencia newspaper Las Provincias said.

‘The autopsy findings almost definitively reinforce the theory of accidental entrapment.

‘Preliminary analyses indicate that the victims suffered cardiac arrest brought on by acute stress following physical exhaustion and the desperation of the moment.’

Although rare, suction-entrapment incidents have caused deaths around the world.

Despite the widespread speculation, Mr Reynolds said he isn’t convinced suction entrapment was behind the deaths of the couple.

‘The fact pattern doesn’t fit with what you would typically see in an entrapment-type incident,' he said.

He explained that with body entrapment a seal is made – typically with the torso – over a suction outlet.

‘These drains are typically located on the bottom of the hot tub or spa pool – most of which are 3.5-4ft in depth,’ he said. ‘Or they would be on the vertical face of the seating area, around the calf area.’

Mr Reynolds said it would be unusual for someone to have their torso in these locations – especially an adult. 

However, he said reports of a strong odour of chemicals could be important. 

‘You wonder whether there was a chemical exposure incident,’ he added.