Essex Police have confirmed that a teenage girl and a woman in her 40s died after several people were pulled from the water at West Mersea beach in Essex on Wednesday evening (July 22). Emergency services were called to Seaview Avenue at 5:35pm following reports that people had got into difficulty in the sea.
A spokesperson for Essex Police said: "Despite the efforts of the emergency services, we can sadly confirm that a teenage girl and a woman in her 40s have died. A third person remains in hospital in a serious condition. Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of those affected at this very difficult time."
Coastguard and RNLI respond
The West Mersea Coastguard Rescue Team confirmed on Facebook that they attended an incident near Seaview Avenue. RNLI confirmed that West Mersea RNLI's inshore lifeboat and both Clacton-on-Sea RNLI lifeboats launched on Wednesday evening. Helicopters were seen circling above the water during the rescue attempt.
Police appeal for information
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."
At this point in the investigation, officers believe the individuals involved were known to one another. Anyone with information or footage is urged to phone 101, quoting incident 1090.
