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Woman and girl die on beach as tide came in while group was on sandbank

A teenage girl and a woman in her 40s have died after several people got into difficulty in the water near Sea View Holiday Park

[The scene in West Mersea, Essex, after a teenage girl and a woman in her 40s have died after a group got into difficulty in the water at the beach of a holiday park. Essex Police said officers were called by the ambulance service at 5.35pm on Wednesday after reports that several people had got into difficulty in the water near Seaview Avenue. Picture date: Thursday July 23, 2026.]

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A teenage girl and a woman in her 40s have died after a group got into difficulty in the water at the beach of a holiday park(Image: PA)

An eyewitness has revealed that a teenage girl and a woman lost their lives after the tide came in while a group of people were stranded on a sandbank near a holiday park.

Essex Police confirmed that officers were called by the ambulance service at 5.35pm on Wednesday, following reports that several people had got into difficulty in the water near Seaview Avenue, West Mersea, Essex.

The force confirmed on Thursday morning that a teenage girl and a woman in her 40s had died. A third person remains in hospital in a serious condition, while two further individuals are receiving treatment in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

[Emergency vehicles, including police cars and ambulances, are parked in an open area, possibly responding to an incident. The scene suggests a coordinated effort by emergency services.]

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A third person remains in hospital in a serious condition(Image: Daniel Rees / Newsquest / SWNS)

Officers also confirmed their belief that all those involved in the incident were known to one another. The East of England Ambulance Service stated that one patient was airlifted to hospital, with a further three patients transported by road following the incident in the water at Sea View Holiday Park.

On Thursday, police officers were spotted patrolling the beach close to the scene, speaking to members of the public. Beach hut owner Beverly Smit, 60, from West Mersea in Essex, said she heard the emergency response and went to investigate what had happened.

"By that time they were re-sussing the person on the beach, the helicopters were still in the fields," said Ms Smit, who works for a local dentist.

She added that she had spoken to a day tripper who had hired a neighbouring beach hut and had attempted to assist in the rescue effort. "He saw and they were calling for help and the children and adults were out there," she said.

"He swam out I think three times. Two of the children he brought back were not in good condition. It's not an easy swim when the tide's coming in, you're swimming against the tide, the water yesterday was particularly quite cold."

[An emergency helicopter with a multicolored livery is landed in an open field, with a few individuals standing nearby. In the background, there is a building with a gray roof and a white fence. The surroundings are adorned with trees and a clear sky.]

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A teenage girl and a woman in her 40s have died after three people got into difficulty in the sea(Image: Daniel Rees / Newsquest / SWNS)

The beach hut owner added that she and fellow members of her rowing club had previously assisted in rescuing people from the sea. Ms Smit described the incident as a "massive scale of rescue and tragedy really".

A woman, who wished to remain anonymous, stated that the incident at West Mersea occurred at high tide. She told the Press Association: "The tide was a lot further in than it is now and that sandbank, they were on there and the tide came in. It comes in very quickly and you have to be careful."

Speaking while sitting at a beach hut, the woman described witnessing "quite a commotion" and "just total panic" unfold before her. Discussing the aftermath of the incident, she said there was a "helicopter coming in, the helicopter circling and sirens going everywhere".

The eyewitness added: "That was quite alarming, for a small place like this, I think that's why so many people are shocked. I mean the beach was packed with people, they were coming down to see what was going on."

The woman said the emergency services "worked diligently" and described the incident as "absolutely tragic". A member of staff at a nearby diner, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed that some of their teenage employees had stepped in to assist.

Carl Powling, a councillor for Colchester Council, confirmed that his daughter was among three teenage waitresses at a local caf who rushed to help.

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He told the Press Association: "Three teenage girls, the waitresses in there, actually came out. One of them was on the phone directing the police where to come, the other two were on the beach assisting with the first aid, keeping people away from filming it as well.

"Very level-headed, absolutely amazing for that age group". He added that they remained on hand until the coastguard arrived, praising the "phenomenal speed" of the emergency response.

Emergency services urged members of the public to stay away from a stretch of beach in Essex following what the coastguard rescue team described as a "tragic incident".

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has vowed to support local authorities following the death of a teenage girl and a woman who got into trouble in water off the Essex coast.

Mr Burnham told ITV Anglia he was so sad to hear the news but added: I dont have the details at this moment in time.

He added: It does bring over, sometimes, the dangers of open water swimming at this time of the year. I just would ask people to consider that. But thank you to the emergency services who stepped in and of course, you know, we will work to support the local authorities as we get to the bottom of this.

Anyone who was in the vicinity at the time and holds information or footage that could assist with the police investigation is urged to contact officers on 101, quoting incident 1090.

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