New details emerge after mother and daughter, 15, drowned trying to save child at a beach in Essex
New details have emerged after a mother and her teenage daughter tragically drowned while trying to rescue a child at a beach in Essex.
Shally Rahman, 42, and her 15-year-old daughter, Samiha Rahman, died after entering the water at West Mersea near Colchester on Wednesday (22 July), when a young relative got into difficulty.
Essex Police has now confirmed they believe the pair entered the water to help a seven-year-old boy.
Det Ch Insp Al Pitcher from Essex Police said via the BBC: "My thoughts, and those of my team, are with the friends and family of the woman and girl who died yesterday.
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"Since yesterday we have been working to establish the circumstances which led up to this incident.
"At this stage we believe they were trying to help a seven-year-old boy who had got into difficulties.
"The boy was taken to hospital where he remains in a critical condition, but the woman and teenage girl, sadly, died.
"All the people involved in this incident are related to each other."
Police also confirmed officers are speaking to 'dozens of witnesses' as they continue to investigate what happened, and have urged anyone with further information to come forward.
A family member of Shally and Samiha has also confirmed to the BBC that the seven-year-old boy remains in a serious condition in hospital.
The latest update comes after the individuals were identified following the incident, which prompted a major emergency response involving the coastguard, ambulance crews and air ambulances.
Shally's brother-in-law, Matiur Rahman, said he learned about the tragedy in a phone call from his brother and was left in tears.
"They went in Colchester, [to the] seaside, and they were near water and playing with them, then suddenly a big wave came," he said.
He added that around 10 family members had been enjoying the day out together before the incident unfolded.
According to a police statement, emergency services were called to West Mersea at around 5:30 pm after reports of multiple people in difficulty in the water.
Two other relatives who also went into the water to help were treated for non-life-threatening injuries. One person was airlifted to hospital, while three others were taken by road.
Witnesses described seeing emergency crews performing CPR on the beach as helicopters circled overhead.
A spokesperson for the East of England Ambulance Service previously said: "Sadly, despite best efforts, two patients could not be resuscitated. One patient was transported by air to hospital, and a further three patients were transported by road to hospital."
Rhiannon Ingle