Mother and daughter die in sea off Essex beach, boy critical
A mother and her daughter died after getting into difficulty in the sea off an Essex beach, and a seven-year-old boy is in serious condition.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Mother and daughter die in sea off Essex beach, seven-year-old boy later dies
A mother and her teenage daughter have died after getting into difficulty in the sea off West Mersea Beach in Essex. The seven-year-old boy they were trying to rescue later died in hospital, a week after the incident.
Emergency services were called to Seaview Avenue at 5.35pm on Wednesday 22 July after reports that several people had got into difficulty in the water. Despite efforts by the RNLI, coastguard, air ambulance and police, a woman in her 40s and a teenage girl could not be resuscitated. They have been named by family as Shali Rahman, 41, and her daughter Samiha Rahman, 15. The family are from East London and of Bangladeshi heritage. They were on a day trip to the beach.
A seven-year-old boy, Samiha's cousin, was pulled from the water and airlifted to hospital in a serious condition. He died a week later, his family said in a statement thanking the community for their support and asking for privacy.
Two other people were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police believe all six people involved were known to each other.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes as the community rushed to help. People brought towels and blankets, and some attempted CPR on the beach. One witness said the current was too strong for anyone else to enter the water. The coastguard described the incident as tragic.
Essex Police are appealing for anyone who was at the beach at the time to come forward. Detective Chief Inspector Al Pitcher said: "Today our thoughts remain with the family members who are coming to terms with their loss."
The beach at West Mersea is popular but can be dangerous. Incoming tides can cut off escape routes, and cold water shock is a real threat. The RNLI has launched more rescues from West Mersea than the UK average. The Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, described the deaths as "very, very sad" and urged people to consider the dangers of open water swimming.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Three other people were taken to hospital, one in serious condition and two with non-life-threatening injuries. | |||||
| Two people, a teenage girl and a woman in her 40s, died in the incident. | |||||
| The incident occurred around 5:30pm on 22 July 2026. | · | ||||
| The individuals involved in the incident were known to each other. | · | ||||
| The victims were known to each other, with six members of two families involved. | · | ||||
| Rescue efforts involved RNLI, air ambulance, coast guard helicopter, fire engine, ambulances, and police. | · | · | |||
| Local residents described the search and rescue operation as the largest they could remember. | · | · | · | ||
| Police are appealing for witnesses. | · | · | · | · | |
| Six members of two families were involved in the incident. | · | · | · | · | |
| The family are from East London and of Bangladeshi heritage. | · | · | · | · | |
| The group were trying to help a seven-year-old boy who got into difficulties. | · | · | · | · | |
| The incident occurred at high tide. | · | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News focused on the official police statement and safety warnings about tides and cold water shock. The coverage was factual and included a live correspondent update, but also began with unrelated political discussion. It did not name the victims or provide community witness details.
- “Despite the efforts of the emergency services, we can sadly confirm that a teenage girl and a woman in her 40s have died.”
- “We believe those involved in the incident knew each other.”
- “the incoming tides there can cut off escape routes and cold water shock there remains a real threat”
BBC News emphasised the scale of the rescue operation and the community's response, including witness accounts of CPR on the beach. The tone was sombre and focused on the human impact, with a reporter on the ground describing the scene.
- “the search and rescue operation which launched at around 5.30 p.m. yesterday was the biggest in size and scale, certainly, that they can remember.”
- “some local people saying that they witnessed CPR taking place on the beach.”
BBC ONE West highlighted the community's strength and the tragic personal details, including the naming of the victims and the laying of a yellow rose. The reporting included witness accounts of the rescue and the family's background, with a strong focus on the local response.
- “it wasn't just emergency services who responded to the tragedy that was unfolding in front of them. It was also one of community strength”
- “a lady came and lay a yellow rose down on the pebbles where the incident itself had had happened”
- “Mother and daughter Shali Rahman, who was 41, and her daughter Samiha, who was 15, died.”
ITV1 provided the most detailed family background, including a family friend identifying the victims as mother and daughter from London, and later reporting that the boy had died. The coverage also noted a previous drowning in Essex and included a witness account from a boater. The tone was compassionate and focused on the tragedy's human cost.
- “I spoke to a man claiming to be a family friend who said that the victims were a mother and daughter and that they were cousins who had visited the beach on a day trip from London.”
- “It seems they were trying to save Samir's seven-year-old cousin from the waves.”
- “A seven-year-old boy has died a week after his teenage cousin and her mother drowned trying to rescue him from the sea in Essex.”
5 News focused on naming the victims as Sally and Samir Rahman, with a family friend describing the rescue attempt. The report also highlighted water safety concerns, noting that West Mersea has double the average number of RNLI launches. The tone was direct and included a strong community angle.
- “Their names have been reported as Sally and Samir Rahman”
- “Sally and Samir may have been trying to save the younger child who's in hospital from the water”
- “West Mersea handles roughly double the number of our NLI launches compared to the UK Average”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.