A family vacation in Spain turned into an unimaginable tragedy for Exeter City forward Jayden Wareham after his two-year-old brother, Hartley Wareham, died days after being found unresponsive in a swimming pool. According to the BBC, the toddler passed away on July 3 after spending four days in the hospital following the incident.
Hartley was discovered in the swimming pool of a villa where family and friends were staying on June 29. During a hearing held in Exeter on July twenty-two, the court heard that his father pulled him from the water and immediately started CPR. His mother then continued the resuscitation efforts while neighbors called emergency services.
First responders managed to restore Hartley’s heartbeat before he was taken to the hospital. Despite those efforts, his condition worsened over the following days. Coroner Alison Longhorn said his cause of death included immersion in water, sepsis, and acute respiratory distress syndrome.
What should have been a joyful family getaway became every parent’s worst nightmare
Following his toddler’s death, Darren Wareham launched a JustGiving fundraiser to build a memorial bench. Inspired by Hey Duggee, Hartley’s favorite animated show, the bench will be placed in the garden where he loved spending time. The fundraiser description reads, “Forever loved. Forever missed. Forever our little boy.”
The page also explains that any money raised beyond the fundraising goal will help cover counseling costs for family members. At the time of publication, the campaign had collected more than $4,700 toward its target of about $6,680.
The tragedy came only weeks after another major family milestone. According to a post on Jayden Wareham’s Instagram, the footballer had become a father just over one month before losing his younger brother. He celebrated the birth by sharing black-and-white hospital photos alongside a heartfelt caption about meeting his newborn son. The hearing into Hartley’s death has now been postponed to a later date.
Published: Jul 25, 2026 01:45 pm