Hero swimmer helped two children during beach tragedy
A tragic drowning incident at a beach in West Mersea resulted in the deaths of a mother and daughter. A bystander is being hailed as a hero for his repeated attempts to rescue those caught in the tide.
Why it matters
The event highlights the dangers of coastal waters and the role of community members in emergency response situations.
Image source, Jamie Niblock/BBC Image caption, Members of HM Coastguard returned to lay flowers at the scene on Thursday evening
Witnesses say a heroic day-tripper managed to haul two children back to shore during an incident where a mother and daughter drowned.
Beverly Smit, 60, described the unnamed rescuer swimming out to sea three times as the tragedy unfolded in West Mersea, near Colchester, on Wednesday evening.
Shally Rahman, 41, and Samiha Rahman, 15, were trying to rescue a seven-year-old boy from the water when they got into difficulty and died .
Essex Police said the group, from Barking, east London, were all related to each other and the boy remained in hospital, fighting for his life.
Recalling the moment the "Good Samaritan" sprung into action, Smit said: "They were calling for help and the children and adults were out there.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in