West Mersea Drownings: Strong Tides Caused Deaths, Relative States
A relative has attributed the recent drownings of a father and daughter in West Mersea, Essex, to unusually strong tidal conditions. Shahin Ahmed, 30, and his daughter, Hamain, aged seven, died after being rescued from the water on Thursday, 13 June. Mr Ahmed's seven-year-old son remains in a critical state in hospital following the incident.
The family, who had travelled from Birmingham for a day trip, were caught in powerful currents. Emergency services responded at approximately 18:30 BST after reports that three individuals were in distress near a pontoon. All three were pulled from the water and transported to Colchester Hospital, where Mr Ahmed and Hamain were pronounced dead. The boy was subsequently transferred to a London hospital due to the severity of his condition.
A spokesperson for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency confirmed that the Clacton Coastguard Rescue Team, alongside police, ambulance crews, and an air ambulance, attended the scene. Essex Police stated that they are treating the deaths as non-suspicious and are preparing a report for the coroner.
