A father and a passer-by drowned at Seaton Carew beach in Hartlepool, County Durham, on Sunday afternoon after attempting to rescue two children from the sea. The children, a boy and a girl, escaped unharmed.
Eyewitness account of the rescue
Davey Short, 48, a painter and decorator from Bishop Auckland, was one of the first to respond. He said: "There were three children at the beach with their mam and dad, a boy aged 15, a second boy aged 11 or 12 and a younger girl. The two younger kids were in the sea and started to struggle."
Mr Short saw a second figure face down in the water and later learned it was the children's father, who had gone in to rescue them. A second man, walking his dog with his partner, also entered the water and drowned. Mr Short added: "She saw the whole thing, it’s devastating to think about that."
Third rescuer saves one child
Mr Short became the third person to enter the water. He managed to reach the boy and bring him to shore with help from another man. He said: "The waves were strong and I lost my grip but with the help of another guy I got hold of him a second time and managed to get him to the shore. I realised all three children were safe but their dad was still in the water."
The father remained in the water for approximately 40 minutes before rescuers could reach him. Mr Short said: "I felt for those children and for their mum, they saw it all happened and it’s something that will never leave any of us."
Community reaction and safety concerns
Keith Smith, 75, who witnessed the rescue operation from the seafront, described it as a "major operation" involving RNLI lifeboats, police, and a helicopter. Gareth Parker, 64, a former lifeguard, highlighted the dangers of riptides: "There are warning signs that go up but unfortunately people don’t know how strong the under-currents can be."
More than 30 people have drowned during heatwaves since May, including seven in the past week. The Mirror's Save Lives for Sam water safety campaign, named after Sam Hayock, 16, who died in a reservoir in 2021, is being supported by bereaved families.
Recent drowning incidents
Leon Pafu Ngoy, 15, drowned in the River Irwell on June 27 after finishing his GCSEs. His body was found two days later. In another incident, Umar Dumbuya, 18, died after entering the River Wye during a Duke of Edinburgh Award expedition on June 30.
