A family trip to Florida took a disturbing turn when a British man allegedly attempted to drown his daughter-in-law during an argument, according to local authorities.
Mark Raymond Gibbon, 62, has been charged with one count of attempted murder and two counts of felony battery after the incident unfolded Sunday evening at the Solterra Resort in Davenport, roughly 40 miles south of Orlando.
What began as a verbal dispute between Gibbon and his daughter-in-law, Jasmine Wyld, reportedly escalated over a disagreement about his will, according to the incident report from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office obtained by PEOPLE.
During the altercation, Wyld’s 9-year-old daughter saw the confrontation from inside the vacation home, ran outside, and jumped into the pool to help her mother. According to the report, Gibbon allegedly shoved the child away and resumed forcing Wyld underwater.
A witness later told deputies she saw Gibbon repeatedly submerge Wyld’s head and scratch her on the chest. She said she was so alarmed that she told a friend to call 911, fearing that Wyld “could have been drowned.”
Wyld told deputies the argument had started while discussing Gibbon’s grandchildren, during which he allegedly used both hands to push her underwater multiple times.
Following his arrest, Gibbon was interviewed by deputies. He reportedly acknowledged they had argued about his will and admitted to pushing Wyld under the water “a few times,” though he claimed he never meant to harm her.
Deputies documented that Wyld had a visible scratch across her chest, while Gibbon had no apparent injuries.
Gibbon was taken into custody and booked at the Polk County Jail, where he is currently being held without bail.
