Drayton Manor accident: Evha Jannath named as girl killed on Splash Canyon ride

The 11-year-old girl who died after falling from a water ride at Drayton Manor Theme Park near Tamworth has been named by police.

Evha Jannath, from Leicester, fell out of a boat on the Splash Canyon attraction during a school trip to the theme park on Tuesday (9 May).

The pupil, who attended Leicester's Jameah Girls Academy, was recovered from the water and treated by paramedics after emergency services were called at around 2.20pm.

She was flown to Birmingham Children's Hospital where she later died.

A statement released by Evha's family said their "world was torn apart" following her death, describing her as "a beautiful little girl who was full of love and always smiling".

"Words cannot describe the pain and loss we feel, we are devastated that we will not see our beautiful little girl again," they added.

The girl's school and the theme park were closed on Wednesday as a mark of respect.

A Health and Safety Executive investigation has now begun into the circumstances of the tragedy with the support of the police.

"The family are being supported by specially trained officers. We would ask everyone to respect the family's right to grieve in private during this extremely difficult time," a spokesman from Staffordshire Police said on Wednesday.

Jameah Girls Academy, an Islamic day school for pupils aged three to 11, said: "As a school community, we are deeply shocked and our thoughts are with our pupil's family and friends."

A parent at the school, who asked not to be named, said her child witnessed the tragic incident.

The mother told MailOnline: "My daughter said there was four other girls on the same boat with the girl and the teacher's boat was behind the girls.

"When the girl got up to change seats just then it hit a rock and she got knocked out of the boat and fell in the water and the water currents dragged her in. For that reason they couldn't see her after she fell in.

"The kids started screaming and told the staff at the park that their friend has fallen in the water."

The Splash Canyon ride, which opened in 1993, offers a "a wild ride" with "fast-flowing rapids". It has a minimum height restriction of 0.9 metres (2ft, 9ins), with each boat carrying six people.

The theme park's company director, George Bryan, whose grandfather opened the site in the 1950s, said he was "truly shocked and devastated" by the death.