Dad reveals moment he spotted ‘riptide’ seconds before Bournemouth beach tragedy killed girl, 12, and boy, 17 | The Sun
A DAD has revealed the moment he spotted a "riptide" seconds before the Bournemouth beach tragedy killed a girl and a boy.
Sunnah Khan, 12, and Joe Abbess, 17, sadly lost their lives after getting into difficulty in the water.
The pair, who were not known to each other, were swimming in the sea near Bournemouth Pier on Wednesday when the horror happened.
The young girl and teen had to be airlifted to hospital – but were pronounced dead shortly after.
A beachgoer has now described seeing a riptide form in the sea just before tragedy struck.
Trevor Pinto was walking towards the pier with his son when lifeguards made an announcement about the incoming strong current.
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Recalling the moments, Trevor said he looked out to sea and saw swirling about 200 metres away from a group of swimmers.
He claims it headed straight towards the pier around 4pm.
Lifeguards on jet skis then rushed out to try and save the two kids.
Trevor said: "We were walking on the pier just after 4pm and heard an announcement from the lifeguards about a riptide.
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"We could see the riptide about 200 metres away. It was a different colour than the rest of the sea.
"It was on the east side of the pier and was coming towards the shore.
"After that we walked to the end of the pier to the Key West restaurant. I took a photograph of my son there at 4.10pm.
"We noticed a lifeguard on a jet ski looking for people under the pier and that is when we realised something was wrong.
"They pulled the first person from the water and started giving them CPR on the beach.
"This was about 60 metres away from where we were but there were more lifeguards looking underneath pier.
"Some other people started shouting that they saw a body. We saw that person was wearing black T-shirt or something.
"That was about 20 or 30 metres away from the pier. They were also given CPR."
Trevor said people were taking pictures and videos of theincident before cops started "pushing people away".
It comes after an inquest opening at Bournemouth has today heard Sunnah and Joe drowned following "speculation" they got caught in a riptide.
Both inquests were opened and adjourned for another date as the police investigation needs to be finished before the coroner can continue.
A man in his 40s who was “on the water” at the time was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and bailed.
And a 78ft boat — the Dorset Belle — was impounded after the incident last week.
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However, police have not told grieving relatives what role they believe the vessel — still held at Poole Harbour — played in the tragedy.
Asked about the presence of the Dorset Belle, Trevor said he recalled seeing it as he walked onto the pier at about 4pm – but it had left by the time he reached the end of the pier at 4.10pm.
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