Overview
- Essex Police confirmed that a teenage girl and a woman in their 40s died after several people got into difficulty in the water near Seaview Avenue and that a third person remains in hospital in serious condition.
- Emergency crews including RNLI lifeboats, HM Coastguard teams, multiple ambulances, air ambulances and fire and police units mounted a large rescue operation on Wednesday evening to recover casualties and secure the scene.
- Detective Chief Inspector Al Pitcher said investigators believe the people involved knew each other and have opened enquiries to establish the full sequence of events.
- Officers have appealed for anyone with information, photos or video from the Seaview Avenue area to contact Essex Police on 101 quoting incident 1090 to help the inquiry.
- West Mersea is prone to strong tidal flows, shifting sandbanks and rip currents, a hazard experts say can cut people off quickly and has prompted renewed calls for improved public awareness and lifeguarded sites.