West Mersea tragedy: mother and daughter die trying to rescue boy off Essex coast

A day at the beach turned to tragedy on the Essex coast this week after a woman and her teenage daughter died while trying to rescue a young boy from the sea at West Mersea, near Colchester.

Essex Police said a 41-year-old woman and her 15-year-old daughter, from London, got into difficulty in the water as they attempted to help a seven-year-old boy. Both died. The boy was taken to hospital, where he remained in a critical condition, according to the force.

Emergency services were called to the popular beach at around 5.30pm. HM Coastguard, the RNLI, the East of England Ambulance Service and Essex Fire and Rescue Service all attended what officials described as a "tragic incident."

The stretch of coastline around Mersea Island is known locally for its strong tidal currents, which can catch even confident swimmers off guard and pull them away from shore quickly.

Cases like this often involve what water-safety experts call the instinct to rescue — the powerful, human urge to go to the aid of a struggling child that can put would-be rescuers in grave danger themselves.

Safety organisations advise that anyone who sees someone in trouble in the water should resist entering it if at all possible. The RNLI's long-standing guidance is to call 999 and ask for the coastguard, and to throw something that floats to the person rather than attempting a swim rescue that can end in more lives being lost.

For swimmers caught in a current, the advice is to float on your back to catch your breath and conserve energy rather than fighting the water, and to raise an arm and call for help.

The deaths are a heartbreaking reminder of how quickly the sea can turn dangerous, even close to shore on a summer's day. Enquiries into the incident are continuing.