June 22nd 2023.
Stephanie Williams, the mother of 12-year-old Sunnah Khan, has spoken out about the dangers of riptides after her daughter tragically drowned off Bournemouth beach on May 31.
Sunnah and Joe Abbess, 17, were pulled from the water and brought to medics on the sand who tried to resuscitate them - both died. Sunnah was swimming near a pier when she was dragged under.
Stephanie told Good Morning Britain yesterday that Sunnah had thought she was in a calm spot out at sea where she was safe. She had been at the beach with her dad, siblings, and brother when the tragedy occurred.
"They were in between the flags on the beach. They then ended up where they couldn't touch the bottom," Stephanie said. "They said a wave came over. They started to shout help. A lifeguard pulled my son from the water but they weren't able to locate Sunnah. She was washed out. They had started to try and make their way back but they couldn't."
Police believe that the teenagers had been caught up in a riptide, strong undercurrents that form when waves pile up on the shore, causing fierce ripples in the sea. Stephanie is now warning others of the dangers of being in the sea, even in shallow water.
"It's really important for people to know the dangers of what can happen in the sea, even in shallow water," she said. "It's important to know what to do should you find yourself in trouble in the water and having some information that's viewable when you're on the beach."
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeguards are trained to recognise rips and mark out a safe swim zone based on sea conditions. If you get caught in a rip, the charity recommends to stay calm, wade don't swim, keep hold of your board or inflatable, raise your hand and shout for help, and swim parallel to the beach until free of the rip.
The Met Office warns that just because the water looks calm it doesn't necessarily mean it's safe. Drowning can happen as people trapped in a rip currents panic and swim against the current. They also added that rip currents are water currents moving over a period of seconds, minutes and hours, and not a “tide”, which suggests the water level changes over a long period.
Dorset Police is still continuing their investigation into the tragedy. A 78ft pleasure boat called Dorset Belle in the area at the time was also impounded. Detective Chief Superintendent Neil Corrigan also asked for no more unhelpful speculation around the circumstances of the incident, and that there is respect for the families of those who have died.
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