Two men have recounted how they tried to save the lives of a woman and her father at Fistral Beach on Sunday, who sadly both died after being pulled out of the water
A man has recounted how he nearly lost his own life trying to save the dad and daughter who died at a popular UK beach on Sunday night.
People at Fistral Beach, in Newquay, bravely attempted to rescue the pair after they fell from some rocks into water below on Sunday evening, with nine emergency vehicles and a helicopter rushing to the 750-metre long sands, known as the ‘home of British surfing’ , to assist in the doomed rescue effort.
The area is well-known for having extremely strong and dangerous rip currents, particularly during outgoing tides. Locals said the sea currents were “very strong” last night.
Bystander Jamie Stockwell recounted the moment he threw himself in the sea fully clothed in an attempt to save the woman who died at Fistral Beach. “I jumped in with all my clothes on. I didn’t realise how deep it was. It was very powerful swell, and I was lucky I wasn’t another casualty,” he told the Sun.
Stockwell revealed she was being bashed against the rocks by the strong swell when he jumped in. “We were being hurled on to the rocks. I managed to push her up and her boyfriend pulled her up by the arms and started to try to give her mouth-to-mouth.
“She had swallowed loads of salt water. We tried to give her CPR for about ten minutes. I was trying to keep her partner calm as he was in pieces.”
The woman’s father, said to be in his 60s, was pulled out of the water not far from where Stockwell had pulled the woman onto the sand. He was given CPR but also died. It is understood the woman and man who died are said to be a father and his daughter, with the pair understood to have been on holiday in Cornwall.
The Sun reports that one witness – a local beach artist – claims the man had “gone in to try and rescue his daughter”.
Sand Phoenix, 33, said he “sprinted” up to help, jabbing the man with an adrenaline pen he had to hand and trying to give him oxygen. His attempts to save the man’s life were in vain, however, as the victim’s lungs were “full of water”.
Mr Phoenix, who was sleeping on the beach at the time of the incident, said: “He had been pulled out of the water but had been in there about seven minutes.
“The paramedics arrived and carried on trying to give CPR. He was still wearing his trousers so I don’t think he had been swimming.
“It looks like they had been walking near the rocks and had fallen in.”
Another witness told the Sun: “A woman was desperately trying to ring someone but couldn’t get through [and] was in tears.
“There was a helicopter overhead and there was a lifeboat in the water. They recovered one body on the beach, while the other one was brought up the cliff. Another man came up soaking wet and in a foil blanket. He knew them and had been trying to help. I’m just in shock, it was awful to watch.”
Following news of their deaths, police urged the public to look for a “leather-style” handbag approximately 30cm by 30cm in size worn by the woman at the time of her death. The bag, described as “orange or peach in colour”, is said to contain a number of sentimental items that grieving family members “would take great comfort in being reunited with,” police said in a statement.
