Two children dead after 'major incident' at Bournemouth beach as man arrested
A man has been arrested for manslaughter after two children died following an incident at a Bournemouth beach.
A 17-year-old boy, from Southampton, Hampshire, and a girl, 12, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, were pulled from the water before being rushed to hospital where they were pronounced dead.
The circumstances remain unclear, however police have confirmed a man in his 40s was detained amid the the horror on North Beach yesterday.
During a lunchtime press briefing today, assistant chief constable Rachel Farrell also confirmed the victims were not related and not known to each other.
She said she could only give a limited amount of information with the case active but said she was keen to avoid further speculation.
Missing radioactive capsule found after huge search - and it's the size of a pea
"It is clear that yesterday, a number of people already in the water got into difficulty and we are investigating the circumstances or event that caused that to happen.
Assistant chief constable Rachel Farrell during the press briefing (PA)"Early investigation indicates that there was no physical contact between a vessel and any other swimmers at the time of the incident.
"I can also confirm there is no suggestion of people jumping from the pier or jet skis being involved."
Emergency services scrambled to the scene at around 4.30pm, with air ambulances landing on the packed sand full of half-term revellers.
According to witnesses, lifeguards struggled to manoeuvre onlookers as they attempted to clear the area after rescuing the casualties.
The beach was eventually evacuated, with dwellers saying they were ordered to "move clear" as some reportedly tried to film CPR being administered.
A total of 10 people - all thought to be children - were pulled from the water.
Some reports suggest they got caught up in a riptide below the pier.
An air ambulance is pictured taking off from the beach (Max Willcock/BNPS)The Coastguard has since confirmed it is "satisfied" no further victims were unaccounted for.
Dorset Police are yet to release the identities of the two people who died.
Boy, 3, dies after being left in sweltering car in 34C heat 'throughout the day'
Yesterday, they said an investigation had been launched into the deaths following emergency reports at 4.32pm.
In a statement released this morning, the constabulary added: "We continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragic incident that occurred yesterday resulting in the deaths of a 12-year-old girl and 17-year-old boy.
"We are working with partner agencies to understand what has caused the tragedy. However, early investigation indicates that there was no physical contact between a vessel and any swimmers at the time of the incident.
"We are investigating the circumstances that caused a number of swimmers to get into difficulty.
"Further information will be released as the investigation progresses."
Witnesses reported people had got into difficulty in the water (Max Willcock/BNPS)Eight of those rescued were treated by paramedics for injuries that are not thought to be life-threatening, they added.
Prior to confirmation of the deaths, Steve Larcombe, who works on Bournemouth Pier for a boat trip company, said: "There were six children involved, the police said four were walking and two cardiac arrests.
"I just hope the children are okay."
Mr Larcombe said he wasn't sure if the youngsters had been jumping off the Victorian pier or were swimming under it at the time.
Beachgoer Ritta Saruchera said her daughter and friend were in the sea when the incident took place.
She said: "They were coming back out of the water when they saw a teenage boy struggling. There was another one floating in the water.
"We went to get help from the lifeguard and inform them of what was happening. There were three young men out there and they have been searching for a fourth."
A major multi-agency rescue operation happened at the beach (Max Willcock/BNPS)She added: "One lifeguard went to rescue two swimmers struggling but he couldn't bring them in. He spotted another person struggling and a second lifeguard went out to them but there were multiple people in trouble.
"The remaining lifeguard was trying to get everyone out of the water.
"The ambulance service came to the struggling person rescued by the second lifeguard.
"More lifeguards arrived to rescue another swimmer near the pier.
"My husband spotted another swimmer struggling and dragged across parallel to the beach. He ran to the lifeguards. The guard immediately went in and they picked him up on a jet ski. I will never ever get the image out of my head of him being brought out.
"They cleared the beach for air ambulance. Then another was spotted and again brought to shore to be worked on. Absolutely horrible.
"Loads of idiots ignoring lifeguard requests to get out of the water and clear the beach. People were running towards those having CPR filming on their phones."
Three air ambulances were dispatched to the attraction (jonty656/Twitter)Another eyewitness, Paul Moyce, said he also thought those involved had been jumping into the sea off the pier.
The 61-year-old told the Daily Mail: "I think they went off the end of the pier and went out too far. They must have got caught by the current. I lived here for 61 years and I've never seen anything like it."
Nicola Holton was on the beach with her husband. She said the sea became dangerous very quickly with "multiple" people needing help.
Detective Chief Superintendent Neil Corrigan, of Dorset Police, said: "Our thoughts are with the loved ones of the young people who tragically died and we are doing all we can to support their families.
"I understand the beach was very busy at the time of the incident and I would ask anyone with information that may assist our enquiries to please come forward.
"We are at the early stages of our investigation and would ask people not to speculate about the circumstances surrounding the incident."
The man arrested was on the water at the time, police said.
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident will see Dorset Police work alongside the Marine Accident Investigation Branch and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in accordance with established protocols.
A spokesperson for the South Western Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) had said two air ambulances, as well as six land ambulances were among the emergency crews at the scene.
“We conveyed two patients to Royal Bournemouth Hospital and Poole Hospital," they added.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
