Heritage Review Hove Girl

The family of a 16-year-old girl who died hours before she was due to receive her GCSE results have found out she passed them all.

Tragic Mia Knight was walking into the sea during a family holiday in the Algarve when she suddenly lost consciousness.

Lifeguards pulled her out of the water shortly after 2pm on Wednesday, and spent more than an hour trying to resuscitate her.

Despite the work of paramedics, Mia was declared dead on Carvoeiro beach close to the resort of Portimão at 3.30pm local time.

Family members described her as a “wonderful and beautiful child”.

Her stepfather, John Hall, said: “Mia had a lifejacket on and was wading out into the water where she intended to go on an inflatable ride when she became ill. She did not drown and we suspect she suffered a massive heart attack.”

Speaking from his home in Brighton yesterday, Mia’s father Nicholas, a builder, said: “I am completely destroyed by the news. I am still trying to find out exactly what happened to Mia.”

Hundreds of Mia’s friends at Hove Park School excitedly picked up their exam results on Thursday unaware of the tragedy.

As news of her death spread, more than 1,200 people joined a Facebook group and organised a gathering at the school last night to set off lanterns in her memory.

Headteacher, Derek Trimmer, said: “Our thoughts are with the family at this most difficult time.

The news has devastated the whole school community.”

Friends Saffron Franklin, 16, and Chelsea McCormick, 16, said: “We all went to collect our results just thinking Mia was having fun on holiday. When we realised what had happened, no one wanted to believe it was true.

“She was really bubbly and happy, always had a smile on her face. No matter what she was going through herself, she would sit there and listen to you. You couldn’t be sad around her.

“She was planning on becoming a hairdresser and did a part-time course at City College while also studying for her GCSEs. She already had a job at a salon.”

Mia’s family are still in Portugal arranging for her body to be flown home. The Foreign Office confirmed the death of a British national in the Algarve and said they were offering the family consular assistance.