A 67-year-old father who died while attempting to rescue a mother and her teenage daughter from treacherous seas off the East Yorkshire coast could be posthumously honoured with a royal bravery award.
A Fatal Attempt at Rescue
Mark Ratcliffe, from Withernsea, drowned on Friday afternoon at around 3pm at Withernsea Bay Beach. He had entered the water in a desperate bid to save Sarah Keeling, 45, and her 15-year-old daughter, Grace, after the teenager was swept from steps near the rocks by a powerful wave.
Emergency services pulled Mr Ratcliffe from the sea unconscious during the initial search, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The body of Sarah Keeling was discovered later that evening. As of Tuesday, a major search operation involving shoreline trawls and drone surveillance from Withernsea to Easington continues in an effort to locate Grace.
Community in Mourning and Calls for Recognition
The local community has been left shattered by the triple tragedy. In a heartfelt tribute, Mr Ratcliffe's family described him as "a true selfless hero with a heart of gold, who was so cruelly taken trying to save others." They added he was a loving husband, father, son, brother, and grandfather.
James Dick, the Lord-Lieutenant of the East Riding of Yorkshire and the King's representative for the county, confirmed he is investigating the most appropriate way to recognise Mr Ratcliffe's bravery. "I am investigating the most appropriate way to recognise Mark Ratcliffe's selfless act of bravery," he stated. "It is a very tragic situation where three people have lost their lives." His office will be contacting officials who organise such awards to decide on a fitting honour.
Eyewitness Account of the 'Impossible' Situation
One of the other rescuers, 68-year-old Richard Shaw, provided a harrowing account of the events. He described seeing Grace floundering in what he estimated were 20-foot waves after running to fetch a lifebelt from its container.
"It was a very angry and horrible sea," Mr Shaw recounted tearfully. He timed his throw of the lifebelt to coincide with Grace surfacing from the foam, but tragically, she was unable to reach it. He then saw Sarah Keeling swept into the sea while screaming for her daughter.
Mr Shaw himself was then hit by a series of massive waves, smashing his knee against the sea wall. A third wave pushed him back up the ramp to safety, where he was helped by a passerby. He was one of two members of the public who entered the water and managed to get out alive.
"I knew she'd gone. If she could have been magically retrieved from that water, she could have probably been saved," he said, breaking down. "This is an impossible situation. The sea is in charge here, and we are not." Mr Shaw revealed a personal connection to the tragedy, having lost his own father in a similar high-tide rescue attempt when he was a child.
Chief Inspector Tom Stevens, providing an update on the police investigation, confirmed the sequence of events based on CCTV and witness statements, praising the courageous efforts of all who tried to help.
