‘A parent’s worst nightmare’ Toddler missing from kids' club found on Tunisia beach
THE parents of a toddler found wandering on a Tunisian beach after going missing from a children’s club at the hotel where they were staying, at which they had left her hours earlier.
It’s a parent’s worst nightmare
Two-year-old Ella Bryson was found lost and tearful on the beach – with her father Billy claiming the hotel rep who was supposed to be running the club was oblivious to the fact she had disappeared in the first place.
Ella’s mum Claire, 32, said: “It’s a parent’s worst nightmare.
“The nightmares I’ve been having since have been terrible.
“This is something none of us should have had to deal with.”
The couple, from Monifieth in Scotland, had travelled to the North African country – whose tourist industry has only recently started to recover from the 2015 terror attacks which saw 38 people, including 30 Britons killed – along with their other children Ruby, 9, and Billie, 4, on a fortnight’s break booked through Thomas Cook.
Ella had been dropped off at the club, run by the Sahara Beach AquaPark Resort, near the city of Monastir.
But her parents were stunned when an eagle-eyed by a fellow-holidaymaker brought her back to Billy 20 minutes later, after finding her walking along the beach on her own.
Mr Bryson, 30, told The Scotsman: “You always think about the worst that could happen.
“Somebody could have grabbed her on the beach or she could have gone into the water and drowned.
“If somebody had picked her up, how were security going to know that she wasn’t just crying for her mum?”
After getting her back, Mr Bryson had gone to speak to the rep to vent his anger and ask what had happened.
He claims the woman in question had not even known Ella was missing.
Mr Bryson added: “She was saying, ‘oh my God, I’m so sorry’. I said, ‘sorry? I could have never seen my daughter again – she’s two.”
Mrs Bryson said: “When Billy brought Ella over to me, he was in such a state. Ella was red and still shaking.”
The resort operate two clubs for children, one run by Thomas Cook and the other, where Ella was taken, run by the hotel.
Mr and Mrs Bryson have since complained to Thomas Cook, and say Ella,who has since turned three, remains traumatised by her experience.
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Mr Bryson said: “Even now, if we go to Asda, she’s holding your hand as tight as she can or she’s climbing to get up or she’s wanting to sit in the trolley.”
A Thomas Cook spokeswoman said: “Customer safety is our first priority, so we were very concerned to hear of this incident and we understand how distressing it must have been.
“We are urgently investigating with the hotel to get to the bottom of what happened and make any changes needed.”
Express.co.uk has contacted The Sahara Beach AquaPark for a comment.