The 12-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy who died in Bournemouth yesterday had jumped into the sea from the pier, MailOnline can reveal today.
Ten children were hurt – two fatally – after getting into trouble in the English Channel close to a packed Dorset beach full of half term holidaymakers and locals yesterday afternoon.
The sands close to the pier had to be cleared so two air ambulances could land but sadly the two schoolchildren later died in hospital.
A man in his 40s, who had been on the water at the time of the incident, has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. One source claimed that he may have been encouraging them to jump before the tragedy. He remains in custody.
Since 2004 Britain’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency has dealt with more than 200 incidents of tombstoning, including pier jumping, leading to at least 70 injuries and 20 deaths.
Bournemouth is in mourning today after the deaths of two children. The beach was full of thousands of people at the time, soaking up the sun during half term for children up and down the country.
Lifeguards on the busy beach had rushed into the water by Bournemouth Pier after a group of people got into difficulty in the sea around 4.30pm on Wednesday. It is believed that all of those involved were aged between 12 and 18. Two died and eight were injured – none of them seriously.
A 12-year-old girl and 17-year-old boy have died after a major incident took place in the water on Bournemouth beach
One of the men was pulled from the water and had to be given CPR on the beach by lifeguards before being taken away by air ambulance
Emergency services were quickly at the scene with the teenage boy and girl being rushed to hospital after sustaining critical injuries. Tragically they both died later in hospital. Their families have been informed.
The other eight people were treated by the ambulance service at the scene for non-life-threatening injuries.
Speaking last night, Bournemouth West MP Conor Burns said: ‘Now the news is official I express my deep condolences to the family and friends of the two young people who tragically lost their lives in Bournemouth.
‘A dreadful event in circumstances when they were enjoying beautiful weather in our town. So sad’.
The MP added thatsaid the incident was a ‘salutary lesson’ that ‘danger is ever present’ on beaches and the ocean.
He went on to thank the life guards and air ambulance members ‘who we can take for granted’.
An investigation has now been launched into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
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 operation involved multiple agencies
The beach had to be cleared before the ambulance was able to land
It is believed that all of those involved were aged between 12 and 18-years-old.
Paul Moyce, 61, said he believed those involved had been jumping into the sea off the pier.
He said: ‘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.’
Thousands of people were on the Dorset beach at the time, soaking up the sun and playing in the water in the 23C heat during the May half term holiday.
South Western Ambulance Service told MailOnline that they had ‘conveyed two patients to Royal Bournemouth Hospital and Poole Hospital’.
Thousands of people had been soaking up the sun and playing in the water in the 23C heat during the May half term holiday.
Beachgoer Ritta Saruchera said her daughter and her friend were in the sea at the time when they saw what happened.
She said: ‘They were coming back out of the water when they saw a teenage boy struggling.
‘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.’
Thousands of people were enjoying the weather before being asked to clear the beach by police
Two people were taken to Royal Bournemouth Hospital and Poole Hospital
Eeman Qamar, from Southampton, was on the beach with her mother and three-month-old baby.
She told the BBC that just after 16:00 lifeguards began to tell people to clear the beach, saying there had been a major incident.
‘After about 20 minutes, the first air ambulance arrived and landed right in the middle of the beach,’ she said.
Ms Qamar continued: ‘The lifeguards started getting on jet skis and boats, searching the sea and about 20 minutes later the second air ambulance arrived and it took another hour-and-a-half for them to finish the whole search and rescue operation.’
A Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service spokesperson said: ‘We were called to East Beach, Bournemouth at 4.39pm to support a multi-agency incident.
‘We have crews in attendance from Westbourne and Springbourne, together with a technical rescue team from Poole.’
A spokesperson for the South Western Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) said: ‘We sent x2 air ambulances, x6 double-crewed land ambulances, x1 critical care car, x2 operations officers, x1 doctor, x1 hazardous area response team and x1 responding officer.
HM Coastguard told MailOnline that ‘two people had been pulled from the water and passed into the care of the ambulance service’ and that ‘coastguards searched to make sure there were no other people missing and are satisfied there are not.
Bus routes that would normally serve the Pier stops were diverted through the square.
Anyone with information about what happened should contact Dorset Police on www.dorset.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55230083818.
Alternatively, witnesses can contact independent charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously online at Crimestoppers-uk.org or by calling Freephone 0800 555 111.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk