The father ran into the sea after two of his children got into difficulties. He was swept away himself and drowned along with a second man who had been walking his dog along the beach with his partner.
A dad drowned trying to save two of his children in a tragedy that also claimed the life of a brave passerby, according to an eyewitness.
The father was swept away alongside the second man as they tried to rescue the boy and girl on Sunday afternoon. Davey Short, 48, helped save one of the children, who both escaped unharmed at Seaton Carew beach in Hartlepool, County Durham.
Mr Short, a painter and decorator, said: “There were three children at the beach with their mam and dad, a boy aged 15, a second boy aged 11 or 12 and a younger girl. The two younger kids were in the sea and started to struggle.
“I saw a second figure next to the boy and he was face down in the water. I discovered afterward the children’s father had gone in to rescue them, was swept away, and didn’t get back out. A second man had also gone in and he drowned as well. He had been out walking his dog with his partner and he ran in to help. She saw the whole thing, it’s devastating to think about that.
“I was the third person to go into the water. The children’s mother was on the beach, she was hysterical and asking if I could help because she couldn’t swim. Her eldest son had gone into the water as well to try to rescue his brother and sister but they were still out there. I managed to swim out and get hold of the boy.
“The waves were strong and I lost my grip but with the help of another guy I got hold of him a second time and managed to get him to the shore. I realised all three children were safe but their dad was still in the water and I knew he had gone. He was out there for maybe 40 minutes before the rescuers could get to him.
“I felt for those children and for their mum, they saw it all happened and it’s something that will never leave any of us. I didn’t sleep a wink last night. Every time I closed my eyes I could see the man in the water. They were just a nice, normal family having a day out at the beach on a lovely, hot day. People have been in touch to thank me for what I did but what else could I do when children were in danger? I’m a father myself and I hope someone would have done the same for my kids.”
Mr Short, of Bishop Auckland, added: “I’m also thinking about the poor partner of the other man. He did everything he could for a family he didn’t even know, it cost him his life.”
A friend of the victim visited the scene, where lifeguards only operate during summer school holidays, but was too upset to talk. Keith Smith, 75, was on the seafront with the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust as the rescue operation got under way. He saw RNLI lifeboats, police and passersby try to save the two men and said: “The helicopter was up, it was a major operation.”
Gareth Parker, 64, a local former lifeguard, said people were unaware of the dangers of riptides. He added: “There are warning signs that go up but unfortunately people don’t know how strong the under-currents can be. It is a shocking incident, a terrible loss of life.”
More than 30 people have drowned during heatwaves since May, including seven in the past week. Bereaved families are backing the Mirror’s Save Lives for Sam water safety campaign. It is named in memory of Sam Hayock, 16, who died in a reservoir in Rotherham, South Yorks, in 2021.
Leon Pafu Ngoy, 15, who had just finished his GCSEs, drowned in the River Irwell on June 27 at Clifton Country Park, Swinton, Gtr Manchester. His body was found two days later.
An inquest has heard another teenager died after getting into difficulty in the River Wye during a Duke of Edinburgh Award expedition. Umar Dumbuya, 18, from Leyton Sixth Form College in East London, entered the water at Glasbury in Powys, Mid Wales, on June 30. Emergency services rushed to the scene at 6.30pm.
