A father who ran into the sea to save his two children drowned alongside a passer-by who had been walking his dog, in a tragedy that unfolded on a hot Sunday afternoon at Seaton Carew beach.
The father was swept away while trying to rescue his 11 or 12-year-old son and younger daughter, who had got into difficulty in the water. A second man, out with his partner, also entered the sea and lost his life.
“Two men drowned at Seaton Carew beach after a father and a passer-by tried to rescue two children.”
Davey Short, 48, a painter and decorator from Bishop Auckland, said he was the third person to go in. “There were three children at the beach with their mam and dad, a boy aged 15, a second boy aged 11 or 12 and a younger girl,” he said. “The two younger kids were in the sea and started to struggle.”
Short saw a second figure next to the boy, face down in the water. He later discovered the children’s father had gone in to rescue them, was swept away, and didn’t get back out. “A second man had also gone in and he drowned as well,” Short said. “He had been out walking his dog with his partner and he ran in to help. She saw the whole thing, it’s devastating to think about that.”
Short swam out and grabbed hold of the boy, but lost his grip. With the help of another man, he brought the child to shore. All three children were safe, but their father remained in the water for around 40 minutes before rescuers could reach him. “I felt for those children and for their mum,” Short added. “They saw it all happen and it’s something that will never leave any of us.”
Cleveland Police were called at 3.45pm on Sunday. RNLI personnel recovered the two men from the water, but they were pronounced dead shortly after. “We would encourage people to refrain from entering any open water at all,” Superintendent Glen Ward said. “Today we have sadly seen the true tragedy that can happen as a result.”
The deaths come during the third heatwave of the year, with parts of England and Wales surpassing 30C. The Met Office confirmed the blistering temperatures are set to persist. Natural England has issued warnings of an “exceptional” risk of wildfires across southern England and the Midlands.
In recent days, an 18-year-old man died at Darley Abbey Mills in Derbyshire and another 18-year-old male died at Dovestone Reservoir, Oldham. Fire services have tackled multiple blazes, including a large fire on the South Downs near Eastbourne and a Walthamstow fire that required 20 fire engines and 125 firefighters.
Short reflected on the passer-by’s sacrifice: “He did everything he could for a family he didn’t even know, it cost him his life.”
