A north-east mum-of-three has drowned while swimming at a Spanish holiday resort.
Jennifer McKenzie died while on a sunshine break with her family at the Santa Susanna resort on the Costa Brava.
Last night, tributes were paid to the 34-year-old, who had been studying social sciences and was hoping to start a career in child care.
Mrs McKenzie had been on holiday with her husband David, 38, and the couple’s three children – two sons and a daughter.
They were halfway through their two-week stay when tragedy struck.
Mrs McKenzie, from Fraserburgh, was a student at the town’s North East Scotland College campus.
Friend Magdalena Jozefowicz, who was on the same course, said the proud mum was popular with everyone who knew her.
She said: “I only found out last night, when her husband sent everyone a message through Facebook.
“I only spoke to her two days before she left – our sons go the same school and Jennifer and I went to the same college.
“It’s terrible that this has happened. I broke down and cried when I found out because I was so shocked.
“She was a fantastic woman and a fantastic person.
“She was always very helpful and was always smiling. I never saw her angry or upset once.”
Mrs McKenzie planned to leave college next year and embark on a career in childcare.
“She was very good with children,” Ms Jozefowicz added.
“And she was so very proud of her children. She was always on Facebook posting pictures of her kids. She was a very good mother.
“But I’ll always remember her as a very polite, helpful person. She really cared for other people.
“She was always worried about other people – if I had a problem, she would always help.
“She was such a good person. I can’t believe she’s gone. Today, when I was taking my own kids to school, I kept on looking for her car. It’s such a shame for her family. It’s terrible, really.”
Mrs McKenzie is understood to have died on Wednesday.
In a social media message her husband said it was with a “heavy heart” he had to tell friends about the death of his “beautiful wife”.
It is though he will not be able to return to the north-east with the couple’s children until next week.
Yesterday, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it was working with Mr McKenzie to bring the family back to Fraserburgh.
A spokesman said: “We are providing support to the family of a British national who has sadly died in Barcelona, Spain.”
