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BEACH TRAGEDY
Bournemouth beach incident: Boy, 17, & girl, 12, die as man in 40s is arrested after horror on seafront
A BOY and girl have died after a "major incident" off the coast of Bournemouth beach.
A man in his 40s - who was on the water at the time - has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after the horror on East Beach at around 4.30pm on Wednesday.
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Cops said they received a report from paramedics of people requiring assistance on the beach off Bournemouth Pier.
Ten people were subsequently recovered from the water but a 17-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl had suffered critical injuries.
They were taken to hospital but later died, the force said.
Their families have been informed.
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The other eight people were treated at the scene for non-life-threatening injuries.
Dorset Police said a man aged in his 40s, who was on the water at the time, has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.
Fire services were called to the scene alongside the Coastguard as part of a multi-agency incident that also involved police.
Beachgoer Ritta Saruchera said her daughter and her friend were in the sea at the time when they saw what happened.
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She said: "They were coming back out of the water when they saw a teenage boy struggling. There was another one floating in the water.
"We went to get help from the lifeguard and inform them of what was happening. There were three young men out there and they have been searching for a fourth."
Michelina Forysiak, 15, was by the beachfront with her mum when the incident began.
She told the one person was being assisted on the beach and within 10-15 minutes there was a second team of emergency response helping another person.
Detective Chief Superintendent Neil Corrigan, of Dorset Police, said: "Our thoughts are with the loved ones of the young people who tragically died and we are doing all we can to support their families.
"I understand the beach was very busy at the time of the incident and I would ask anyone with information that may assist our enquiries to please come forward.
"We are at the early stages of our investigation and would ask people not to speculate about the circumstances surrounding the incident."
A Coastguard spokesperson said: "HM Coastguard has been assisting South West Ambulance Service after a call was received from Poole Bay RNLI Lifeguards about people in difficulty in the water."
A spokesperson for the South Western Ambulance said: “We were called at 16:07 on Wednesday 31 May to a sea incident in Bournemouth.
"We sent x2 air ambulances, x6 double-crewed land ambulances, x1 critical care car, x2 operations officers, x1 doctor, x1 hazardous area response team and x1 responding officer.
“We conveyed two patients to Royal Bournemouth Hospital and Poole Hospital.”
Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service said: "We were called to East Beach, Bournemouth at 4.39pm to support a multi-agency incident.
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"We have crews in attendance from Westbourne and Springbourne, together with a technical rescue team from Poole."
Dorset Police added: "Dorset Police received a report at 4.32pm on Wednesday 31 May 2023 from the ambulance service requesting assistance on the beach off Bournemouth Pier."
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