Bournemouth beach deaths: No boat involved, investigators say

No vessel was involved in the deaths of two children who drowned at a popular beach, investigators have said.

Sunnah Khan, 12, from Buckinghamshire, and 17-year-old Joe Abbess, from Southampton, were pulled from the sea near Bournemouth Pier on 31 May.

A sightseeing boat was impounded but the Marine Accident Investigation Board (MAIB) said it would now not be pursuing any further inquiries.

A man held on suspicion of manslaughter remains under investigation.

Dorset Police said the arrested man, who is in his 40s, had been "on the water" at the time and that its inquiries were continuing.

An MAIB spokesperson said: "Having conducted a thorough preliminary assessment of the circumstances of this tragic accident the MAIB has decided that no formal investigation will be launched.

"This was a truly tragic accident but our understanding of the circumstances is that it did not involve a vessel and therefore is not something the Branch would investigate."

The incident involved 10 swimmers on a day when the beach was packed during half-term.

In the immediate aftermath, the Dorset Belle sightseeing boat was impounded by police, although the force added that no swimmer was involved in any collision or contact with any vessel in the water.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council suspended boat operations from the pier "as a precaution" while police investigated the deaths.

The Dorset Belle's operator subsequently announced it would not use the pier again.

A preliminary inquest hearing was told there was a "suggestion" a riptide led to the pair drowning. A further pre-inquest hearing is due on 18 September.

Riptides are strong currents running out to sea that can quickly drag people and objects away from the shallows of the shoreline and out to deeper water.

Previously Joe's family described him as "a fabulous young man", while Sunnah's mother Stephanie Williams to pay tribute to her "beautiful daughter".

She wrote: "No parent should ever have to go through what her dad and I are going through. We love you so much baby girl."

Sunnah's school described the 12-year-old as "bold and happy", whose personality "resonated throughout the school".

Teachers at City College Southampton, where Joe was studying catering, said they were "in tears" over his death.

His friend and fellow student Jack said: "He was definitely the life of the kitchen. Bubbly, happy, trying to spread the cheeriness throughout the kitchen.

"Now I'm heartbroken. We all loved him so much."

In a statement, Dorset Police said: "We are continuing to work with experts and partner agencies to understand the circumstances of the incident and this will take time to establish.

"We are doing all we can to support the families of those involved and they are being kept updated by specially trained family liaison officers about our investigation."

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