Dad Who Died Saving Children at Seaton Carew Beach Identified as Wayne Taylor

A father who died after helping two children struggling in the sea off the coast of Teesside has been identified locally as Wayne Taylor. The incident occurred at Seaton Carew beach in Hartlepool on Sunday afternoon.

Taylor and another man were brought ashore by the RNLI around 3:45 p.m. BST. Both were pronounced dead a short time later. The two children were taken to the hospital as a precaution and were confirmed to be safe. Cleveland Police stated that formal identification is ongoing as part of inquiries for the coroner.

The deaths have been described as a "heartbreaking tragedy" for the town by Jonathan Brash, the Labour MP for Hartlepool. In response to the incident, Hartlepool Borough Council leader Graham Harrison, of Reform UK, has requested a full review of current water safety arrangements at Seaton Carew and along the wider coastline.

Seaton Carew beach is only patrolled by lifeguards during the summer school holidays, which have not yet begun. Councillor Sue Little has advocated for lifeguards to be present from May through September. A petition calling for extended lifeguard coverage outside of school holidays has garnered over 1,600 signatures.