Father ‘drowned trying to save his two children after they were swept away at beach’, reveals hero who saved the boy and girl after mother screamed for help

While the day he spent with his family at the beach ended in a double tragedy, a father lost his life while trying to save his children caught in dangerous currents.

The father ran to the sea when his two children were in a difficult situation, but he was also dragged away and drowned along with his partner and a second man who was walking his dog on the beach.

Both children, a boy and a girl, escaped unharmed thanks to the efforts of other beachgoers.

The tragedy occurred at around 3.45pm on Sunday at Seaton Carew beach, near Hartlepool in County Durham, when strong breezes made the sea rough and choppy.

The family from Shildon, County Durham, were on a day out and spending the afternoon at the beach until their two young children got into trouble.

The Bishop of Durham Region, Davey Short, 48, a painter and decorator from Auckland, helped rescue one of the children; It took two attempts to save him from the waves.

Despite his heroic actions, this was just ‘what any man in my position would do’.

Mr Short said: ‘There were three children on the beach with their mother and father; A 15-year-old boy, a second boy around 11 or 12, and a younger girl.

‘Two little children were in the sea and they were struggling with the waves.

‘I had gone for a walk on the beach from my mum’s house nearby and was planning to take a dip in the water but the sea looked a bit rough and choppy so I sat on a dune overlooking the sea.

‘I noticed there was a child in trouble, he was being beaten by the waves and when I looked I saw a second figure next to the child and he was also face down in the water.

‘At first I thought he was snorkeling but I realized something was wrong. I later learned that the children’s father went in to save them, was dragged away, and never came out again.

‘A second man had also gotten in and was also strangled. He was a man who was walking his dog with his partner and ran to help. He saw it all, it’s devastating to think about.

‘I was the third person to enter the water. The children’s mother was on the beach, hysterical and asking me if I could help because she couldn’t swim.

‘His eldest son also went into the water to save his brother and sister, but they were still there.

‘I managed to swim out and catch the boy. I told him ‘swim to me, swim to me’ and managed to grab his hand and pull him towards the shore.

‘The waves were strong and pushing us and I lost control but with the help of another man I caught him a second time and managed to get him to shore.’

Mr Short said the children’s father remained in the water for about 40 minutes before being pulled from the water by rescuers from the RNLI.

“I feel bad for those kids and their mom, they saw it all happen and it’s something that will never leave any of us,” she added.

‘I didn’t even blink last night, every time I closed my eyes I could see the man in the water.

‘They were just a nice, normal family having a day at the beach on a nice, warm day and it just happened.’

Police attended the scene at Seaton Crew Beach in Hartlepool, Durham, after two men drowned.

Mr Short claimed it took emergency services around 40 minutes to arrive at the scene, leaving him with no option but to risk his life to save the child.

Yesterday, Inspector Glen Ward of Cleveland Police said: ‘We offer our deepest condolences to the families of both men involved in this tragic incident today.

‘Despite the best efforts of emergency services, unfortunately both men were pronounced dead shortly after being pulled from the sea.

‘Although the deaths are not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner, we are conducting an investigation into what happened today.

‘I would like to remind everyone that open water carries serious risks. We know warm weather is inviting, but we encourage people to avoid entering open water. Unfortunately, today we saw the real tragedy that could occur as a result.

‘Please be extra careful and enjoy the warm weather as safely as possible.’

The bodies of two teenagers were found following separate water-related incidents in Derby and Greater Manchester on Friday.

An 18-year-old boy was pulled from the water under the weir near the Darley Abbey Mills complex in Derby on Friday.

Emergency services were called at 12.46 after two young people were in a difficult situation.

The teenager was rescued, but after hours of searching, the 18-year-old was found dead.

In Manchester, emergency services were called to Dovestone reservoir in Oldham at around 7pm on Friday.

Police added that an 18-year-old teenager was found unresponsive in the water and despite the efforts of medical professionals, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said the scene remains and investigations are ongoing.

The previous day, a 16-year-old boy died after getting into trouble at a lake in Lincoln; weeks after another teenager drowned in the same area.

Lincolnshire Police were called to Swanholme Lakes on Thursday afternoon and the child was taken to hospital but died shortly before 9pm.

Declan Sawyer, 15, also died after running into trouble at the nature reserve on May 24.

The family of a young boy who drowned at Clifton Country Park in Swinton, Manchester, last month have paid tribute to their beloved son, brother, nephew and friend Leon Pafu Ngoy.

In the statement they said: ‘Leon was our baby, our brother, our best friend and the heart of our family. ‘He was kind, respectful, thoughtful and loved by everyone who knew him.’

The May and June heatwaves in Britain are thought to have killed more than 2,700 people, with almost half of these deaths said to be due to a changing climate.

One study estimates that 550 people died during the exceptionally hot spell at the end of May, with a further 2,200 deaths linked to a ten-day heatwave in June.

Dr. is a research fellow on extreme weather conditions and climate change at Imperial College London. Claire Barnes argued: ‘Whenever there is a heatwave, our news is filled with images of reporters in swimming pools, people eating ice cream and sunbathing on beaches.

‘We all love the sun, but people need to be aware that we are now facing dangerous heat triggered by climate change that is costing lives, disrupting schools and hospitals, shutting down transport and infrastructure.

‘It’s time we woke up to the fact that we live in a country where summers are dangerously hot.’