Evha Jannath died after falling off Splash Canyon on Tuesday. (PA/SWNS) More

The family of an 11-year-old schoolgirl who died at Drayton Manor Theme Park have said they are “devastated that we will not see our beautiful little girl again”.

Evha Jannath, from Leicester, fell out of a boat on the Splash Canyon ride during a school trip to the Tamworth-based theme park on Tuesday.

In a statement issued through police, the family said: “Yesterday our world was torn apart by the news that our daughter and sister Evha, had lost her life in tragic circumstances, following a school trip to Drayton Manor Park.

Evha was sucked under the water when she fell from the ride (SWNS) More

“Evha was a beautiful little girl who was full of love and always smiling.

“Words cannot describe the pain and loss we feel, we are devastated that we will not see our beautiful little girl again.

“We ask that you allow us to grieve in private and deal with our loss as a family.”

Staffordshire Police said Evha was recovered from the water and received advanced life support from ambulance crews before she was flown to Birmingham Children’s Hospital where she later died.

Eyewitnesses have described the moment that the schoolgirl was killed when she was “sucked under” the rapids of the ride.

Eyewitness Matt Mason was on the ride just before the schoolgirl (SWNS) More

Evha, a pupil at the Jameah Academy – an integrated Islamic day school for girls in Leicester – is said to have fell from one of the boats when it hit a rock.

A parent of another pupil told MailOnline: ‘When the girl got up to change seats just then it hit a rock and she got knocked out of the boat and fell in the water and the water currents dragged her in.”

According to the park safety guidelines, adults are told to “supervise” children near water rides including Splash Canyon, and water quality is continually assessed.

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Eyewitness Matt Mason, 44, said: “I was on Splash Canyon just before the person who fell in.

“Didn’t see it happen but was collecting my family photo when a lady came up to the collection booth to say that a girl had fallen in.

“She was pretty calm so we assumed it was nothing major.

Emergency services rushed to the scene after the girl was sucked under the rapids (SWNS) More

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