Locals in a Yorkshire seaside resort are devastated after a ‘huge wave’ swept a teenage girl out to sea, triggering a tragedy that has claimed two lives and left a third person missing
The coastguard abandoned its search for a missing person on Saturday at Withernsea after a tragedy that has already claimed two lives(Image: Hull Live)
Desperate efforts to rescue people pulled out to sea from the beach at Withernsea, a seaside resort in East Yorkshire, have been described by a heartbroken local café owner.
The horrific moment a teenage girl was swept out to sea on Friday (January 2) by a “huge wave” was caught on Castle Café CCTV, said Paul Whitehead. A staff member tried to save the girl and got “so close” before the victim was tragically pulled further out, he said.
Two of his staff had run across to the scene when they saw what was happening. “One of them went in the sea with the woman to try to help the girl, and was so close to rescuing her, but just as she was trying to reach the lifebelt ring, she was taken away,” he said.
Flowers at the pier at Withernsea mark a tragedy that cost two lives and leaves a third person still missing(Image: Donna Clifford/Hull Live)
Two people are confirmed to have died and a third person is missing after a major search and rescue operation following the incident on Friday. Eyewitnesses said several people entered the water in a desperate attempt to save the girl.
A 67-year-old man was pulled from the water and died at the scene before a second body was recovered in the evening, Humberside Police said. No details have yet been given about the second person.
HM Coastguard started the second day of searching for a third missing person at first light but said the search been stood down at 4pm on Saturday afternoon (January 3) and would not be resumed. Mr Whitehead said CCTV at his café had captured the moment of terror when the girl was on a set of steps before she was hit by a big wave, which knocked her into the water.
Tragedy struck suddenly at the seaside resort of Withernsea when a wave swept a teenager out to sea(Image: Hull Live/MEN MEDIA)
He said he wanted to speak out after learning of posts on social media criticising people for “paddling” or “swimming” in the sea when conditions were atrocious.
“This could cause so much upset and sadness to these families,” he told Hull Live.
Mr Whitehead said he understood the girl had gone down the steps to take pictures and that people went into the water to try to get to her, after she was knocked off the steps by a wave.
He said: “There were people coming across to us who had gone in the sea to try to help.
“My staff member is okay but very shaken up, as you can imagine.”
Flowers have been laid at the scene this afternoon.
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