SEA HORROR
Girl, 15, drowned after being swept out to sea ‘in a blink’ while taking pics before mum & hero died trying to save her
A TEEN girl drowned along with her mum and a hero passer-by after she was swept into the sea while taking pictures, an inquest heard.
Sarah Keeling, 45, and her 15-year-old daughter Grace disappeared in the water near Withernsea – off the East Yorkshire coast – on January 2.
Hero passer-by Mark Ratcliffe, 67, was also killed in the horror as he bravely tried to pull the pair to safety.
Grace’s body was later recovered from the sea over two weeks after she vanished.
An inquest heard today how Grace had gone to Withernsea for a day out with her mum, a friend and the family’s dog Lulu.
She and the teen pal had been taking turns to go down steps from the promenade while the other took photos and videos with the sea spray behind.
The girl, who can’t be named, said: “We were laughing and taking videos of each other.”
She told the court they decided to do it “one last time” as Grace stood with her back to the sea.
The teenager explained how she turned her back on her friend for a moment as Grace was near some railings on the steps down from the Pier Towers landmark.
She said: “I turned round and, in like a split second, Grace was gone.
“It happened as quick as a blink.
“I initially thought she was hiding somewhere.”
The girl continued: “Grace was screaming for help.”
She explained how she also began screaming, adding: “The wave came out of nowhere.”
The court heard mum Sarah began “freaking out” and shouted out for help before going into the water herself.
Tragically, she never made it to her daughter as the waves were too strong, the teen girl said.
She added: “The waves did not stop. It was getting worse. One minute Grace was near the wall and next she was gone.”
Former fisherman Barry Appleby said Sarah and Mark were repeatedly struck against the sea wall by powerful waves as they tried to reach Grace.
The inquest heard how their bodies were recovered the same afternoon as the coastguard, RNLI, firefighters and more than 100 police officers arrived at the scene.
The search for Grace’s body took 13 days and was eventually found trapped among giant boulders used for sea defences.
The court heard how at least three other people went into the water on that day to try and help.
Mark’s wife described him as a “hero” as she paid tribute to the grandad today.
Carol Ratcliffe said: “My grandson kept asking if grandad was coming out of the sea… we told him grandad was a hero.”
Police described conditions as extremely dangerous, with freezing temperatures and three-metre breaking waves at the time of the horror.
The inquest continues.
Source: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/39238905/girl-drowned-sea-mum-passer-by-pictures/
