Body is found in hunt for missing girl, 15, two weeks after her mother and hero passer-by died trying to save her when she was swept out to sea

A body was found during the search for a missing young girl who was swept out to sea with her mother and a heroic witness two weeks ago.

Grace Keeling, 15, is understood to have fallen into the water at Withernsea on the East Yorkshire coast after being struck by a wave on January 2.

She died after her mother Sarah Keeling, 45, and local Mark Ratcliffe, 67, bravely walked into the sea in a desperate attempt to save her.

The bodies of the two adults were found shortly after the tragedy, while emergency services had been searching for Grace for the past two weeks.

Humberside Police said emergency services attempted to retrieve the body, which was found among rocks on the beach on Thursday morning, but were unsuccessful due to tide times and other conditions.

Specialist officers informed Grace’s family and asked people to ‘avoid speculation’ and ‘respect their private lives’.

Emergency services cordoned off part of Holmpton Road and remained at the scene.

Detective Superintendent Simon Vickers said yesterday’s discovery followed 13 days of ‘extensive searches’.

Hero Mark Ratcliffe (pictured), 67, died trying to save Grace from the water.

‘Officers and specialist teams are working to explore every possible option to recover the body sensitively in very complex circumstances,’ he added.

‘Due to tide times, conditions and location the rescue could not be carried out immediately and was therefore paused until it was safe to proceed.’

East Yorkshire district coroner Lorraine Harris previously told Ms Keeling’s inquest that the actual cause of death was asphyxiation resulting from head and neck injuries.

Ms Harris said Ms Keeling was a married woman, was born in Germany, lived in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, and worked in international sales.

The coroner said Ratcliffe’s primary cause of death was drowning, with chest injuries also being a contributing factor.

He said Mr Ratcliffe was born in Bradford, lived in Withernsea and was a retired warehouse manager.

Each inquest opening at Hull Coroner’s Court lasted around two minutes and no family members were present. Ms Harris adjourned both hearings to a date to be determined.

Humberside Police previously said officers were called to the incident on Central Promenade in Withernsea at 3.15pm on January 2.

Coastguard and Humberside Fire and Rescue personnel continue the search on Saturday, January 3

Last week, police said that after reviewing CCTV and speaking to several witnesses, it became apparent that Grace and a friend were on the steps near the rocks and that Grace ‘was believed to have fallen into the water after being swept away by the wave’.

Miss Keeling and three others, including Mr Ratcliffe, immediately went into the water to save her.

He said officers were deployed as well as police, coast guard, ambulance and fire resources.

Mr Ratcliffe was pulled from the water unconscious during the initial searches. He was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later, police said.

Miss Keeling’s body was found by the coastguard the same evening.

Two other people who entered the water to assist in the rescue also managed to get out safely, police said.

Mr Ratcliffe’s family paid tribute to him, saying he was ‘a true selfless hero with a heart of gold who was cruelly deceived while trying to save others’.