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Girl, 2, drowned in her buggy after father let go to kiss mistress
The father of a two-year-old girl who drowned when her pushchair slipped into the sea had let go of the handles to kiss his mistress, it has emerged.
By Lucy Cockcroft
Last Updated: 4:02PM GMT 18 Feb 2009
Rebecca Hopper who died after a pushchair she was in fell into the sea at Warren Apron, Kent.
Andrew Hopper had taken the woman out for a day trip to the seaside, along with his daughter, Rebecca, and son Lewis, eight months.
As he turned to embrace her, he let go of the buggy and a gust of wind blew it over the promenade at Warren Apron in Folkstone, Kent, with the children still strapped in.
Both Mr Hopper and his mistress leapt into the water when they realised what had happened and managed to unclip them.
But then they got into trouble themselves, and six passers-by had to rescue the children, who were both unconscious and face-down in the water.
Rebecca was airlifted to a specialist unit at The Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, but was declared dead two hours later. Lewis was taken to the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, where he is still recovering.
Their mother, Mr Hopper's wife Sarah, 35, had been completely unaware of her husband's affair until the tragedy happened.
Police sources said that he and his mistress, believed to be a work colleague and family friend, had been completely honest about how the events had unfolded.
Mr Hopper, 38, a software engineer at BAe Systems, was taken to hospital suffering from severe shock after the accident on Sunday afternoon. His mistress did not require treatment.
Mr Hopper's father Barry, from Margate, said: "He was obviously worried about her when they airlifted her up to London but it wasn't until later when the police told him that she had actually died that it hit him.
"Then he started having palpitations and had to be admitted to hospital.
"He's not been under sedation because it never actually hit him at the time that she was dead. He's very shocked but he's recovering.
"It was a tragic accident. The buggy just slipped away from them on a sloping bit of pathway and that was it."
Mr Hopper is understood have been reunited with his wife at Lewis' bedside. The child is in a stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery.
A source said: "Both Andrew and his mistress are totally devastated that this happened whilst their backs were briefly turned, it has been terrible for everyone involved.
"They were totally honest about the circumstances, which can't have been easy for his wife, but it was the right thing to do.
"They will have to live with what happened forever, it is going to be extremely difficult for all involved."
Mr and Mrs Hopper, who also have a ten-year-old son and live in Chatham, Kent, have issued a statement in praise of the rescuers and medical staff who fought to save Rebecca and Lewis.
They said Rebecca, who would have been three next Wednesday, was a "sweet, gorgeous little girl".
The statement read: "She was a special little girl with a special place in all our hearts.
"She will be sorely missed by everyone who knew her. We love her so much and she will be in our hearts forever."