A 15-year-old girl was swept out to sea "in a blink" as she and her friend took photos of themselves in front of a raging sea, an inquest has heard.
Grace Keeling died in the sea at Withernsea, East Yorkshire, along with her mother, Sarah Keeling, 45, and local man Mark Ratcliffe, 67, who went into the water to help her on the afternoon of January 2 and immediately got into difficulties themselves.
A coroner heard on Thursday how Mr Ratcliffe's grandchildren "will grow up knowing their granddad was a hero".
The inquest in Hull heard evidence from Grace's friend, who had gone with her and her mother to Withernsea for a day out, from their homes in Nottinghamshire, with the Keeling family dog, Lulu.
In her evidence, which was summarised in a police officer's statement, the girl, who cannot be named, described how she and Grace had been taking turns to go down steps from the promenade while the other took photos and videos with the sea spray behind.
The tragic incident occurred when a large wave suddenly swept Grace into the water. Her mother Sarah immediately jumped in to rescue her, followed by Mark Ratcliffe, a local man who witnessed the scene. Despite their efforts, all three drowned.
The inquest continues.
