Bournemouth beach boat operations suspended after deathson June 6, 2023 at 1:13 pm

All boat operations from Bournemouth Pier have been suspended “as a precaution” following the deaths of a girl and a teenage boy.

Joe Abbess, 17, from Southampton, and 12-year-old Sunnah Khan, from Buckinghamshire, both died in hospital after an incident last Wednesday.

An inquest heard a “suggestion” a riptide led to the pair drowning.

The council said the ban on boat operations would remain pending the outcome of a police investigation.

Dorset Police said it was keeping an “open mind” and dismissed speculation the pair had jumped from the pier.

The force said it was considering causes including the impact of weather conditions and the state of the water.

The incident involved 10 swimmers on a day when the beach was packed during half-term.

In the immediate aftermath, the Dorset Belle sightseeing boat was impounded by police, but the force said it was “just one of several lines of inquiry”.

It added that none of the swimmers were involved in any collision or contact with any vessel in the water.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has said “no formal investigation has been launched” but it was continuing to make inquiries.

In a statement released earlier, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council said all boat operations from the pier had been paused “as a precaution” while police continue to investigate.

“We are aware the investigation is complex and will consult with Dorset Police when the investigation is complete,” a spokesperson said.

A man in his 40s, who was “on the water” at the time, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. He has since been released while inquiries continue.

In a hearing to open the inquest proceedings at Bournemouth Town Hall on Monday, Dorset coroner’s officer Nicola Muller said post-mortem examinations identified drowning as the cause of the deaths.

“The brief circumstances are that emergency services were contacted by members of the public… following suggestion they had been caught in a riptide,” she said.

Riptides are strong currents running out to sea that can quickly drag people and objects away from the shallows of the shoreline and out to deeper water.

Joe’s family described him as “a fabulous young man”, while Sunnah’s mother Stephanie Williams posted on Twitter to pay tribute to her “beautiful daughter”.

She wrote: “No parent should ever have to go through what her dad and I are going through. We love you so much baby girl.”

Teachers at City College Southampton, where Joe was studying catering, said they were “in tears” over his death.

His friend and fellow student Ben said: “Joe was kind of an inspiration to me. He was obviously very passionate about cooking. Head chef one day, for sure.”

Another student Jack said: “He was definitely the life of the kitchen. Bubbly, happy, trying to spread the cheeriness throughout the kitchen.

“Now I’m heartbroken. We all loved him so much.”

The inquest was opened and adjourned for a pre-inquest review hearing on 18 September.

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