A teenage girl and a woman in her 40s have died after a tragic incident at West Mersea beach in Essex. Emergency services were called to the scene near Seaview Avenue on Wednesday evening, July 22, following reports of people in distress in the water.
Incident Details
Essex Police received a call from the ambulance service at 5:35 pm on Wednesday. The West Mersea Coastguard Rescue Team, along with RNLI lifeboats from West Mersea and Clacton-on-Sea, launched a rescue operation. Helicopters were also seen circling above the water.
Despite the efforts of emergency services, a teenage girl and a woman in her 40s were pronounced dead. A third person was taken to hospital and remains in a serious condition.
Police Investigation
Detective Chief Inspector Al Pitcher said: "Today, our thoughts remain with the family members who are coming to terms with their loss. We are grateful to the people who have already spoken to us and helped with our enquiries. We would ask anyone who was at the beach at the time, and who has not yet spoken with officers, to please get in touch, to help us understand what happened."
Police believe the individuals involved were known to one another. Officers are urging anyone with information or footage to contact them by calling 101 and quoting incident 1090.
Community Response
Floral tributes have been left at the beach on Thursday morning. The West Mersea Coastguard Rescue Team posted on Facebook early Thursday about the incident. The beach was sealed off by police on Wednesday evening.
