Teenage girl and woman in her 40s die off Essex coast after tide came in 'very quickly'

A teenage girl and a woman in her 40s have died after getting into difficulty in the water off the Essex coast, police said.

Emergency services were called to the scene in West Mersea, near Colchester, at 5.35pm on Wednesday following reports of several people in difficulty in the water.

Essex Police confirmed that, despite the best efforts of paramedics, a teenage girl and a woman in her 40s died.

A third person remains in hospital in a serious condition, and two other people are in hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

One witness, who did not give her name, said the group was standing on a sandbank when the tide suddenly came in causing "total panic".

"The tide was a lot further in than it is now and that sandbank, they were on there and the tide came in," she said.

"It comes in very quickly and you have to be careful."

Mishba Uddin, a family friend of the victims, said they were from a Bangladeshi background and had been on a day trip from east London and Barking.

"They are a very nice and likeable family," he told the PA news agency.

The East of England Ambulance Service said one patient was transported by air and three patients by road to hospital after the incident near the Sea View Holiday Park.

"Following reports of multiple people in distress in the water at Sea View Holiday Park, West Mersea yesterday evening, we dispatched multiple resources including our Hazardous Area Response Team, critical care paramedics and two air ambulances to the scene," a spokesperson said.

"Sadly, despite best efforts, two patients could not be resuscitated."

Detective Chief Inspector Al Pitcher said: "Today, our thoughts remain with the family members who are coming to terms with their loss.

"We are grateful to the people who have already spoken to us and helped with our enquiries.

"We would ask anyone who was at the beach at the time, and who has not yet spoken with officers, to please get in touch, to help us understand what happened."

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Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the government would provide support to local authorities following the deaths, adding that it was "so sad to hear the news".

"It does bring over... the dangers of open water swimming at this time of the year," he told ITV Anglia.

The coastguard rescue team described Wednesday's events as a "tragic incident".

Police have asked for anyone in the area at the time or who may have footage of the incident to contact them.

There have been numerous drownings in the UK over the summer, including during the May heatwave when at least 15 people, mostly children, drowned while swimming in open water.

(c) Sky News 2026: Teenage girl and woman in her 40s die off Essex coast after tide came in 'very quickly'