A 9-year-old girl desperately tried to save her mother as her grandfather allegedly tried to drown her.
The child reportedly witnessed Mark Raymond Gibbon, 62, hold his daughter-in-law’s head under the water of a swimming pool at Solterra Resort in Davenport on August 3.
She rushed out of their rented villa and jumped into the pool in a bid to pull her grandfather off of her mother, Jasmine Wyld, 33.
Highlights
- A 9-year-old girl jumped into a pool to save her mother from her grandfather's alleged drowning attempt in Florida.
- Mark Raymond Gibbon, 62, is charged with attempted murder and felony battery for trying to drown Jasmine Wyld, 33.
- The attack occurred during a heated argument about Gibbon's will while the family was on vacation.
Mark Raymond Gibbon has been charged with attempted murder and felony battery
Image credits: Polk County Sheriff's Office
According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office incident report, Gibbon and Wyld had been arguing about his will, and the verbal altercation turned physical.
“Gibbon is accused of pushing and holding the victim’s head underwater multiple times, preventing her from breathing,” the Polk County Sheriff's Office said, according to The Telegraph.
“The victim’s nine-year-old daughter jumped into the pool in an attempt to stop Gibbon from drowning her mother.”
The British family was on holiday in the Florida city, which is about 40 miles from Orlando.
Gibbon has been charged with attempted murder and felony battery.
Image credits: Google Maps
A bystander told investigating officers that when the child jumped into the pool, Gibbon “pushed” her away and again pushed Wyld’s head under the water.
According to the police report, the bystander said she “observed [Gibbon] push [Wyld] under the water and hold her there multiple times” and watched as he “scratched Jasmine on her chest.”
The woman told her friend to call 911 as “she was afraid for [Wyld’s] safety as the altercation was escalating” and “believed that [Wyld] could have been drowned in this incident,” People reported.
Wyld confirmed the incident to officers and said she and Gibbon had been arguing about his grandchildren when he allegedly put “two hands on the top of her head to push her down under the water.”
In an affidavit, she said that she “could not breathe and feared she would drown,” according to The Standard.
Unconfirmed reports claim that Gibbon, 62, and his daughter-in-law were in a romantic relationship
Image credits: Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images
Gibbon later admitted to officers that he pushed Wyld “under the water a few times” but claimed he was not trying to drown her.
He said they had been arguing about stipulations he included in his will.
Unconfirmed reports in The Telegraph claim that Gibbon and Wyld were in a romantic relationship, which began when both of their marriages broke down.
A family source told the outlet that Gibbon plans to leave his £800,000 estate to his two grandchildren and that his will had caused “tension” in the family.
According to The Times, Wyld has returned to England and testified via video link to a court in Bartow, Florida.
She reportedly described Gibbon as a “fantastic grandfather” and said she “is not afraid of him” as she supported a motion for Gibbon to be released.
A judge denied the request, and Gibbon remains in custody at Polk County Jail in Bartow. He is expected to appear in court again on September 9.
“We expect vacationers to behave while they visit with us. Because Mr. Gibbon couldn’t control his anger, he may find himself spending a lot more time in Florida than he had anticipated,” County Sheriff Grady Judd said.