A witness to the tragic drowning of a father and daughter at Fistral Beach in Newquay has described how he threw himself into the sea fully clothed to try to rescue them. The incident occurred on Sunday evening when the pair fell from rocks into the water, prompting a large emergency response including nine vehicles and a helicopter.
Bystander's Daring Rescue
Jamie Stockwell, a bystander, recounted the moment he jumped in. "I jumped in with all my clothes on. I didn’t realise how deep it was. It was very powerful swell, and I was lucky I wasn’t another casualty," he told the Sun. He said the woman was being bashed against the rocks by the strong swell. "We were being hurled on to the rocks. I managed to push her up and her boyfriend pulled her up by the arms and started to try to give her mouth-to-mouth. She had swallowed loads of salt water. We tried to give her CPR for about ten minutes. I was trying to keep her partner calm as he was in pieces."
The woman's father, believed to be in his 60s, was pulled from the water near where Stockwell had brought the woman ashore. He also received CPR but died. The pair are understood to have been on holiday in Cornwall. A local beach artist named Sand Phoenix said he believed the man had "gone in to try and rescue his daughter."
Witness Accounts
Sand Phoenix, 33, who was sleeping on the beach, said he "sprinted" to help, administering an adrenaline pen and attempting to give oxygen. His efforts were unsuccessful as the victim's lungs were "full of water." "He had been pulled out of the water but had been in there about seven minutes. The paramedics arrived and carried on trying to give CPR. He was still wearing his trousers so I don’t think he had been swimming. It looks like they had been walking near the rocks and had fallen in," Phoenix said.
Another witness described the scene: "A woman was desperately trying to ring someone but couldn’t get through [and] was in tears. There was a helicopter overhead and there was a lifeboat in the water. They recovered one body on the beach, while the other one was brought up the cliff. Another man came up soaking wet and in a foil blanket. He knew them and had been trying to help. I’m just in shock, it was awful to watch."
Police Appeal for Handbag
Following the deaths, police issued an appeal for a handbag worn by the woman at the time. The bag, described as "leather-style" and approximately 30cm by 30cm, is "orange or peach in colour." Police said it contains sentimental items that the family "would take great comfort in being reunited with."
