Bournemouth beach deaths won't be investigated by MAIB
Investigators believe no vessel was involved
Last updated 27th Jun 2023
It's been confirmed no boat was involved in the deaths of two children off Bournemouth beach.
Marine accident investigators say they won't be launching a formal investigation.
17-year-old Joe Abbess from Southampton and 12-year-old Sunnah Khan from High Wycombe died after they got into difficulty in the sea near Bournemouth pier at the end of May.
Eight other people were also pulled from the water.
Today, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch has issued a statement.
It said: “Having conducted a thorough preliminary assessment of the circumstances of this tragic accident the MAIB has decided that no formal investigation will be launched.
"This was a truly tragic accident but our understanding of the circumstances is that it did not involve a vessel and therefore is not something the Branch would investigate.”
In response, Dorset Police said: "We are continuing to investigate the circumstances of an incident on Wednesday 31 May 2023 that saw two young people tragically die after being recovered from the sea off Bournemouth beach.
"We are continuing to work with experts and partner agencies to understand the circumstances of the incident and this will take time to establish.
"The arrested man remains released under investigation while enquiries continue.
"We are doing all we can to support the families of those involved and they are being kept updated by specially trained family liaison officers about our investigation."
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