Mother 'fought' to rescue girls

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A mother tried in vain to cling to her twin daughters and their friend during floods which killed her and one of her girls in Spain, an inquest has heard.

Lorraine Cullen, 47, and daughter Lauren, 14, drowned as they tried to cross a swollen river to reach their home near Valencia on 9 October.

The family moved to Spain from Brighton in 2004.

Separate verdicts of accidental death were recorded for Mrs Cullen and Lauren at the inquest in Brighton.

The inquest was told that flood waters rose above a 5ft (1.5m) high bridge.

She put her arms around all three of us, but somehow we separated Samantha Cullen

During a police interview which was read, surviving twin Samantha said the group, which included their friend, only identified by her first name Hemma, were faced with heavy rain and flooding as they tried to drive back home.

She said they formed a human chain as they tried to cross a narrow concrete bridge that was covered with water.

Her statement continued: "I don't know who fell over because I wasn't really concentrating on them.

"Hemma says that Lauren fell over and dragged her down so that's why me and Mum fell over as well.

"Then we all just got taken and I saw Mum grabbed us all. She put her arms around all three of us, but somehow we separated."

'Support and compassion'

The inquest was that told Samantha, who had grabbed on to some weeds, and Hemma, who had clung on to a rock, managed to raise the alarm after banging on the doors of two houses.

Mr and Mrs Cullen had been married for 25 yearsThe bodies of Mrs Cullen and Lauren were found early the next day, about a mile downriver.

Consultant pathologist Dr Andre Rainey said it was "reasonable to conclude" they they drowned, despite a full report from the two Spanish post-mortems being unavailable.

In a statement released after the verdicts, Mark Cullen and Samantha said: "We would both like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has shown us such overwhelming support and compassion.

"We have lost a loving wife and mum, and a wonderful daughter and twin sister."