Bournemouth beach: Police confirm child who died in tragedy was from Southampton - and give investigation update

In a press conference held to ‘quell rumours’, the force said that one of the two children who ‘got into difficulty’ in the sea and later died from critical injuries was a 17-year-old boy from Southampton and the other was a 12-year-old girl from Buckinghamshire. The pair were unrelated. Eight other casualties were treated at the scene.

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Adressing public speculation about the circumstances of their deaths, Dorset Police assistant chief constable Rachel Farrell announced that none of the 10 swimmers had jumped from the pier and that jetskis did not play a part in the catastrophe.

Speaking at a BBC press conference this afternoon, assistant chief constable Rachel Farrell said: ‘An investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident has been launched and we are working alongside Marine Accident Investigation Branch and the Maritime Coastguard Agency in accordance with established protocols.

‘Following our initial enquiries, a man in his 40s who was on the water at the time has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

‘To avoid further speculation, I am able to tell you that it is clear that yesterday a number of people already in the water got into difficulty and we investigating the circumstances or event that caused that to happen.

‘Early investigation indicates that there was no physical contact between a vessel and any of the swimmers at the time of the incident. I can also confirm there is no suggestion of people jumping from the pier or of jetskis being involved. Further information will be released as the investigation progresses.’

Farell refused to provide further information about the role of the man in custody when asked by reporters, adding that to do so would be ‘innapropriate’ during an active investigation. She also urged the public to avoid speculation and refrain from sharing videos relating to the incident which are circulating online. Instead, people are asked to submit footage or information to Dorset Police to aid the investigation – which is called ‘Operation Marble’.

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She added: ‘I would sincerely like to thank members of the public who helped people in trouble in the water. I am also very grateful to the wider beach-goers who really quickly moved from the beach and allowed emergency services to do their work.

‘This incident sparked a multi-agency response from a range of emergency services, including the ambulance service, her majesty’s coastguard, RNLI, the fire service, BCP council and Dorset Police.

‘We are all truly devastated that two young people have lost their lives.’