Keith Smith, 75, was on the seafront at Seaton Carew, Hartlepool, for the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust when the drama unfolded.
A horrified eyewitness watched as two men drowned trying to save two children who were lost at sea in the heatwave. Keith Smith, 75, was on the seafront at Seaton Carew, Hartlepool, for the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust when the tragedy unfolded.
He saw a huge rescue operation involving RNLI lifeboats, police and passersby when two children got into difficulties in the water. The Ford vehicle of one of the men who died remained parked on the sea front today, with a police car nearby.
The children survived but the two men tragically died trying to save them. It is unclear if the men knew the children in the water. Keith, who keeps watch on the terns, a protected species, said: “The helicopter was up, there were police, it was a major operation.”
He added: “There were hundreds watching from the beach front. But I later discovered that they had died and the two children survived. It shows the dangers of going into the water. They survived and the two men lost their lives trying to save them. It was an awful tragedy, a terrible afternoon.”
Civil servant Gareth Parker, 64, a former lifeguard on the stretch of water, said that people were unaware of the dangers of the undercurrents and rip tides. He added: “There are warning signs that go up but unfortunately people ignore the dangers. It was a terrible loss of life.”
His wife Debra, 60, a retired admin worker, added: “We saw the ambulances go past and the helicopter in the air. We had to pull over to let them past. The local MP has said that they are going to try and get lifeguard cover extended. At the moment it is just in the school summer holidays.”
The latest deaths come amid the Mirror’s Save Lives for Sam campaign, which is calling for urgent action to make our waters safer – including an education programme and a nationwide public awareness campaign.
The family of a 14-year-old boy who drowned in the sea also warned people about the dangers. Matty Sherrington was playing in the water with friends near Hartlepool’s Steetley Pier when he went missing on 15 July 2021.
His mum Amy said on Facebook: “My heart goes out to the two men that sadly lost their lives yesterday at Seaton Carew. It made me feel physically sick and brought back so many horrendous memories. Please don’t ever think ANY kind of water is safe.”
Specially trained officers are supporting both families at this extremely difficult time, Cleveland Police confirmed. Superintendent Glen Ward said: “Our deepest sympathies go out to the families of both the men involved in this tragic incident.
“Despite the best efforts of emergency services, sadly both men were pronounced dead a short time after being brought out of the sea. “We are conducting enquiries into the circumstances of what happened today, although the deaths are not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the Coroner. “I would like to remind everyone that open water comes with serious risks. We know it is inviting in the hot weather, but we would encourage people to refrain from entering any open water at all. Today we have sadly seen the true tragedy that can happen as a result. Please take extra care and enjoy the warm weather as safely as possible.”
Several police and ambulance crews were also in attendance, in car parks off The Front at the seaside resort. A North East Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We received a call at 3.45pm on Sunday, July 12, to reports of an incident on Seaton Carew beach.
“We dispatched three ambulance crews, a clinical team leader, a duty officer, three crews from our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), and requested support from our colleagues at the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) who attended by road. Two patients were taken to North Tees Hospital for further treatment.”
The Mirror has launched the Save Lives For Sam water safety campaign to tackle the UK’s growing drowning crisis. Backed by MPs, Olympic champions, national water safety organisations and bereaved families, the campaign is calling for urgent action to make our waters safer.
That includes compulsory water safety lessons in schools, a nationwide public awareness campaign, better lifesaving equipment at high-risk waterways, the introduction of Sam’s Law, and a dedicated Minister for Water Safety. Find out more about the campaign and how you can support it here.
