A 12-year-old girl and 17-year-old boy who died at Bournemouth beach were ‘forced out to sea’ after a passing pleasure boat created a riptide while they were stood on a sandbar, sources have claimed.
Sunnah Khan and Joe Abbess drowned after being pulled under the water at the south coast resort on Wednesday, May 31, while eight other beachgoers got into difficulty in the water.
It has now been claimed the pair were among a number of people who were tipped off by the wash of the 78ft Dorset Belle as it came to dock at the pier.
The ship has since been impounded by police who are investigating the incident, and a man was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter but has since been released under investigation.
On Monday inquests into the deaths of Sunnah and Joe were opened, and details given in court revealed the pair had died from drowning with no traumatic injuries.
Sunnah Khan, 12, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, died after being pulled under the water near Bournemouth Pier
Police have impounded a 78ft pleasure boat, the Dorset Belle (pictured), following the tragedy, but have said they are keeping an open mind about what happened
Dorset Police has previously said it is keeping an open mind as it probes what happened, with officers looking into the potential role played by the weather and conditions in the water at the time.
However, insiders have suggested the ‘sudden riptide’ which was said to have contributed to their deaths in court on Monday could have been caused by the Dorset Belle.
A source told The Sun: ‘They were on a sandbar to the east of the pier when the Dorset Belle came moored alongside the pier.
‘It created a riptide which deluged everyone on the sandbar and effectively forced them further out to sea.’
MailOnline has contacted Dorset Police for comment about this claim.
The lack of answers surrounding what happened has frustrated loved ones of Sunnah and Joe.
Sunnah’s mother, Stephanie Williams, had previously hit out at the police, saying: ‘It’s just really difficult to accept. Somebody has potentially caused Sunnah to be taken away from us.
‘The police have only told us what they said in a statement. The cause of death was drowning, there were no other injuries.
‘We don’t actually know how it came about. I don’t understand how somebody can be released on bail for double manslaughter. How does that work?’
Family and friends of the pair paid tribute to them, with Sunnah being described as an ‘angel’ by heartbroken relatives last week.
Joe, who was a trainee chef and harboured dreams of running his own restaurant in the future, was described by his college as an ‘exceptional student’, while Southampton FC -where he had worked in hospitality – also paid tribute to him.
The teenage boy who died while in the water off Bournemouth beach was named on Sunday as Joe Abbess
On Monday beachgoer Trevor Pinto has revealed how he saw the riptide form just seconds before Sunnah and Joe went under.
He described how he was walking towards Bournemouth Pier with his son when they heard the lifeguards on the beach make an announcement about a riptide.
Mr Pinto looked out to sea and spotted the swirling current about 200 metres away and headed towards the pier at just after 4pm on May 31.
They walked to the end of the pier and saw lifeguards and jet skis recover the bodies of Sunnah and Joe from the water.
He said: ‘We were walking on the pier just after 4pm and heard an announcement from the lifeguards about a riptide.
‘We could see the riptide about 200 metres away. It was a different colour than the rest of the sea. It was on the east side of the pier and was coming towards the shore.
‘After that we walked to the end of the pier to the Key West restaurant. I took a photograph of my son there at 4.10pm.
‘We noticed a lifeguard on a jet ski looking for people under the pier and that is when we realised something was wrong. They pulled the first person from the water and started giving them CPR on the beach.
‘This was about 60 metres away from where we were but there were more lifeguards looking underneath pier.
‘Some other people started shouting that they saw a body. We saw that person was wearing black T-shirt or something. That was about 20 or 30 metres away from the pier. They were also given CPR.
‘People were taking videos and filming and after that they started pushing people away.
‘The pier has two tiers to it and the only person I saw on the pier was a guy fishing. There were no jet skis.’
Asked about the presence of the Dorset Belle pleasure craft, Mr Pinto said he recalled seeing it as he walked onto the pier at about 4pm but it had left by the time he reached the end of the pier at 4.10pm.
An inquest heard on Monday that Sunnah and Joe died from drowning following the riptide.
Sunnah’s mother Stephanie Williams, 32, says she has received little clarity over her death
An air ambulance takes off from Bournemouth beach after two children died on Wednesday, May 31
12-year-old Sunnah Khan, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
Rachael Griffin, senior coroner for Dorset, added: ‘I understand there is an ongoing police investigation. Despite that, I have already submitted the appropriate paperwork and released both Joe’s and Sunnah’s bodies for the purposes of their funerals.
‘It’s very important people do not speculate on the circumstances surrounding Joe and Sunnah’s deaths and allow the police investigation to proceed, which will allow my investigation to proceed.
‘I would like to take this opportunity to offer my sincere condolences to Joe and Sunnah’s families, my thoughts are very much with them at this difficult time following this tragedy.
‘My thoughts are also with those who attended or witnessed the traumatic events.’
She added: ‘I wish to take this opportunity to remind all those who enter the sea or open water to be aware of the powers of the water and the risks of swimming in open water.
‘It’s important they are aware of how to respond when problems arise and urge people to follow guidance from public agencies such as the RNLI.’
Ms Griffin adjourned the hearing until a pre-inquest review to be held on September 18.
Neither Joe’s nor Sunnah’s families were present at the short hearing.
Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood has expressed concern about a lack of clarity from local police officers about the incident, which he said had led to ‘wild speculation on social media’.
‘We do need to understand, learn lessons from this, provide clarity early on, just so people can have an assurance of mind as to what roughly happened,’ he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
The Bournemouth East MP said: ‘Certainly anybody would not want to impede or prejudice the investigation.
‘But if the absence of any comprehensive statement becomes standard, I can see who, speaking on a wider picture and security level, those who wish us harm could leverage the void by misleading messaging.’
But David Sidwick, the Conservative police and crime commissioner for Dorset, defended the police’s handling of the ‘complex’ case.
City College Southampton Principal, Martin Sim, commented: ‘Everybody at City College is deeply saddened to hear of the tragic incident that took place at Bournemouth beach on Wednesday 31st May.
‘We send our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the two young people who lost their lives, which we now know included one of our Hospitality students, Joe Abbess.
‘We have informed his class of this devastating news and are providing professional support to our students and staff through this difficult time.’
His hospitality teachers added: ‘Joe was an exceptional student who made a huge impact on both the hospitality team and his classmates and he will be deeply missed.
‘We loved teaching Joe, he was a gem, with a great sense of humour and an undeniable passion for hospitality. He helped everyone and always stepped up as the first to volunteer, he was an exemplary student.
‘Joe was always eager to expand his knowledge and took the time to talk to us about our experiences and to learn everything he could. He was looking forward to working towards his dream of owning his own restaurant.
‘Joe’s legacy will live on in the hearts of those who knew him.’
Southampton FC paid tribute to Joe on Monday, revealing he worked in hospitality at the club.
A statement read: ‘We’re extremely saddened to hear the news of the tragic passing of Joe Abbess. Joe was not only a valued employee of Gather & Gather, the club’s hospitality and catering partner, but a cherished member of our football family here at the club.
‘For more than a year, Joe, who was a trainee chef, had worked across the club on matchdays and was a popular colleague amongst all staff. The thoughts of everyone associated with both the club and Gather & Gather are with Joe’s family and friends at this difficult time.’
Dorset Police has said that the beach was extremely busy but that neither of the deceased young people or anyone else pulled from the sea at the time of the incident was involved in any collision or contact with any vessel in the water.
A second air ambulance takes off from the beach after the half-term tragedy
One man was pulled from the water and was given CPR on the beach by lifeguards before being taken away by air ambulance
She added of Sunnah: ‘She was a school child at the time of her death. The brief circumstances surrounding her death are that emergency services were contacted by members of the public following reports that swimmers had come into difficulty in the water following suggestions they had been caught in a riptide.
‘She was treated by paramedics at the scene and transferred to Poole General Hospital. She was confirmed deceased at the hospital.’
The devastated family of Joe previously described him as a ‘wonderful son and brother’ and said they were ‘incredibly proud of the fabulous young man he was’.
They described the 17-year-old trainee chef as ‘kind, generous, loving, caring, hardworking and funny’.
Sunnah’s mum described her daughter as ‘so well loved and well liked’.
She said: ‘No parent should ever have to go through what her dad and I are going through.’
Dorset Police are investigating the weather, wind conditions and state of the water at the time of the tragedy.
They said that the pleasure boat that was in the area at the time was just one of several lines of inquiry they were exploring.
Detective Chief Superintendent Neil Corrigan said: ‘We continue to keep an open mind around the circumstances that have led to the tragic death of two young people in the water off the beach.
‘Our thoughts remain with the families of those young people.
‘As with any investigation of this nature, we have to look at all factors connected to the state of the water.
‘One of those lines of enquiry has involved the pleasure boat, which was in the area at the time of the incident.
‘These enquiries also include examining wind, other weather and general coastal conditions at the time.
‘I would ask that the police investigation is allowed to continue without further unhelpful speculation around circumstances of the incident, and that there is respect for the families of those who have died so tragically.’