Mother and Daughter Drown in West Mersea Beach Tragedy
Family day trip ends in double fatality as rescue attempt fails in Essex waters.
Carla Rooney
A mother and her teenage daughter drowned at West Mersea beach in Essex on Wednesday evening, reportedly while attempting to rescue a young relative.
Ten family members, visiting from East London and Barking, attended the ill-fated day trip.
Bystander Bowe entered the water multiple times, swimming out 'three times' against the tide to rescue individuals.
Bowe pulled Shally Rahman and Samiha Rahman from the waves, also assisting a seven-year-old boy onto a lifeboat.
Det Ch Insp Al Pitcher from Essex Police confirmed the familial relationship of all involved, stating, 'My thoughts, and those of my team, are with the friends and family of the woman and girl who died yesterday.'
The victims' family requested privacy; Matiur Rahman, a family member, expressed profound shock.
Matiur Rahman stated, 'My whole family - we are speechless. We can't believe what we heard from my brother. We are very shocked.'
My whole family - we are speechless. We can't believe what we heard from my brother. We are very shocked.
He described Shally Rahman as a 'helpful person,' a housewife who cared for her children.
Matiur Rahman recounted the incident: 'They went in Colchester, [to the] seaside and they were near water and playing with them, then suddenly a big wave came.'
Other accounts suggest the group became stranded on a sandbank as the tide advanced.
The deceased, a mother and daughter, hailed from London; the family is of Bangladeshi heritage.
Shally Rahman is the wife of Dr Monsur Rahman, leader of Jubo Dal UK, the youth wing of BNP.
Mishba Uddin, a community member, stated, 'We as a whole community are in shock actually.'
Floral tributes appeared at the scene, which remained closed for most of Thursday as local authorities conducted enquiries.
Essex Police investigate the incident and solicit witness accounts.
An Essex Police spokesperson urged, 'Anyone who was in the area at the time and has information or footage which may assist our investigation is asked to contact us on 101 and quote incident 1090.'
This incident at West Mersea beach echoes a 2023 tragedy where David Cole, 30, drowned at the same location while saving his three-year-old son.
This history of fatalities highlights the inherent dangers of open water, particularly in areas prone to strong currents and sudden tidal shifts.
Colchester Council commissioned an independent RLSS UK beach risk assessment in March 2024, just four months before this incident.
This assessment, which did not recommend public rescue equipment, now faces renewed scrutiny from stakeholders.
Andy Burnham reflected on broader implications, stating, 'It does bring over, sometimes, the dangers of open water swimming at this time of the year. I just would ask people to consider that.'
He extended gratitude, adding, 'But thank you to the emergency services who stepped in and of course, you know, we will work to support the local authorities as we get to the bottom of this.'
The landscape of coastal safety demands immediate re-evaluation; public pressure mounts for reviews of existing protocols and enhanced public awareness campaigns.
Matiur Rahman conveyed widespread grief, stating, 'We all feel very bad, my four brothers, my sister... everybody in the UK and back home [in Bangladesh].'