Witnesses report that an unidentified individual performed multiple rescues during a drowning incident at West Mersea beach on Wednesday evening, saving two children. The event resulted in the deaths of a mother and her teenage daughter.
Beverly Smit, a 60-year-old witness, stated that the unnamed rescuer entered the water three times as the situation unfolded near Colchester. The victims, identified as Shally Rahman, 41, and Samiha Rahman, 15, were reportedly trying to assist a seven-year-old boy who had gotten into difficulty in the water. The boy remains in critical condition in the hospital.
According to Essex Police, the group involved, all related to each other, were from Barking, east London. Smit described the rescuer's actions, noting the difficulty of swimming against the incoming tide, especially in the cold water.
"He swam out, I think, three times. Two of the children he brought back were not in good condition," Smit recounted. "It's not an easy swim when the tide's coming in - you're swimming against the tide. The water [on Wednesday] was particularly quite cold."