Bournemouth beach incident: Police confirm victims weren't related

Dorset Police have confirmed the two victims of an incident in the sea off Bournemouth Pier were not related, and were there 'just enjoying a day out'.

The county's Assistant Chief Constable, Rachel Farrell, has given an update on yesterday's tragedy (Wednesday 31st May).

A 12 year old girl from Buckinghamshire and a 17 year old boy from Southampton are now known to have died.

Eight other people were helped to safety during the same incident.

ACC Rachel Farrell said the investigation is ongoing, but contact with a vessel has been ruled out:

"I am able to tell you that it's 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.

"Early investigation indicates that there was no physical contact between a vessel and any of the 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."

A man in his 40s is currently being questioned on suspicion of manslaughter.

Police say the people involved in the incident were supported by 'great-spirited members of the public' at the time.

Thanks have also been passed on to those on the beach that 'really quickly moved away' to allow the emergency services the space to work.

ACC Farrell expressed her condolences:

"We are all truly devastated that two young people have lost their lives. My thoughts and those of all the emergency services are very much with their loved ones at this horrendous time and we are doing all we can to support their families."

Social media videos should be shared with police

There's now an appeal for people to 'refrain' from sharing any social media videos circulating of the incident, and instead to share them with officers, in case they can help with the investigation.

Dorset's Assistant Chief Constable has made this plea:

"As you can imagine, we are at the early stages of our investigation, and we would ask people not to speculate about the circumstances surrounding the incident to both protect our inquiries and out of respect for the victims and their families.

"We are aware of a number of videos circulating on social media and we would urge people to refrain from doing this.

"We know the beach was very busy when the incident occurred. I am today urging anyone who saw what happened or has any information that may assist to please come forward.

"If anyone has relevant phone footage then they can contact Dorset Police through our major incident public portal where they can upload the images and we will share the links on social media."

Lifeguards praised for efforts

A doctor who was at scene yesterday has paid tribute to the young lifeguards for doing their best in difficult circumstances.

Dr Rob Rosa, posted on LinkedIn about his experiences:

"I happened to be on Bournemouth beach yesterday and was involved in the resuscitation attempt. Many of the lifeguards on the beach were teenagers themselves and despite their training would not have encountered such a scene, let alone having to resuscitate two children simultaneously, whilst actively searching for others in a crowded sea.

"These young lifeguards did everything asked of them, they didn't panic, there was no hysteria, they were exceptional and they followed instruction to the letter, whilst taking their own initiative.

"I hope they are able to spend time reflecting on how well they performed as individuals and as a team in exceptional circumstances, that we all hope won't be repeated. They absolutely did their bit and they should be rightly proud of how they coped under such pressure, even though the outcome was sad. They did not turn up for work expecting that yesterday and behind the scenes, praise should be offered to each and every one of them for working so hard to keep us safe on the beach."

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council leader Vikki Slade said the authority is working with the emergency services and will be assessing safety in the water near the pier:

"There are specific rules relating to the buoys in the water but there is no evidence that any of these rules have been breached."

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