Essex Police have named the mother and daughter who died after getting into difficulty in the water off Mersea Island. Shelina Rahman, 41, and her 15-year-old daughter Sameeha, from Ilford, London, lost their lives on Wednesday 22 July.
Family incident
Six family members, including three adults and three children, were in the water together when they got into trouble. All made significant efforts to help each other, but Shelina and Sameeha died. A seven-year-old boy was airlifted to hospital and remains in a critical condition. Other family members were treated and are recovering.
Investigation and community response
Detective Chief Inspector Al Pitcher is leading the investigation, working with the fire service, local council, and coastguard. Chief Inspector Michelle Sparks, District Commander for Colchester, thanked the community for its response, noting members of the public rushed to help the family. The family has requested privacy. Anyone with information or footage is urged to call 101, quoting incident 1090 of July 22.
