A father who died after jumping into the sea to rescue his children at Seaton Carew beach has been named as Wayne Taylor. A fundraising campaign launched by family friend Shannon Bailey has raised more than £3,500 towards funeral costs and supporting the family.
Incident details
The tragedy occurred at approximately 3.45pm on Sunday, July 12, 2026, when two children got into difficulty in the water. Wayne Taylor and another man entered the sea to help. Both men were recovered by the RNLI and received urgent medical treatment but were pronounced dead shortly afterwards. The children were taken to hospital for precautionary checks and are now confirmed safe.
Fundraising campaign
Shannon Bailey set up a GoFundMe page seeking £5,000 to support the Taylor family. She wrote: "Wayne jumped in and tried his best to save them, along with another member of the public who also sadly lost his life. We would like to thank everyone who attended to the family at the beach and helped save their children—they are forever grateful." The page had raised over £3,500 as of Monday morning.
Police statement
Cleveland Police Superintendent Glen Ward said: "Our deepest sympathies go out to the families of both the men involved in this tragic incident today. Despite the best efforts of emergency services, sadly both men were pronounced dead a short time after being brought out of the sea." He added: "I would like to remind everyone that open water comes with serious risks. We know it is inviting in the hot weather, but we would encourage people to refrain from entering any open water at all."
Ongoing enquiries
Police are conducting enquiries into the circumstances, but the deaths are not being treated as suspicious. A file will be prepared for the Coroner. Emergency services including the RNLI, Coastguard, and North East Ambulance Service attended the scene.
