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| Bournemouth beach deaths: No boat involved, investigators say | Bournemouth beach deaths: No boat involved, investigators say |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Sunnah Khan and Joe Abbess were pronounced dead in hospital | Sunnah Khan and Joe Abbess were pronounced dead in hospital |
| No vessel was involved in the deaths of two children who drowned at a popular beach, investigators have said. | No vessel was involved in the deaths of two children who drowned at a popular beach, investigators have said. |
| Sunnah Khan, 12, from Buckinghamshire, and 17-year-old Joe Abbess, from Southampton, were pulled from the sea near Bournemouth Pier on 31 May. | Sunnah Khan, 12, from Buckinghamshire, and 17-year-old Joe Abbess, from Southampton, were pulled from the sea near Bournemouth Pier on 31 May. |
| A sightseeing boat was impounded and a man, who was "on the water" at the time, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, police previously said. | A sightseeing boat was impounded and a man, who was "on the water" at the time, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, police previously said. |
| The Marine Accident Investigation Board said it would not pursue inquiries. | The Marine Accident Investigation Board said it would not pursue inquiries. |
| The beach was cleared as emergency services attended the incident | The beach was cleared as emergency services attended the incident |
| A spokesperson said: "Having conducted a thorough preliminary assessment of the circumstances of this tragic accident the MAIB has decided that no formal investigation will be launched. | A spokesperson said: "Having conducted a thorough preliminary assessment of the circumstances of this tragic accident the MAIB has decided that no formal investigation will be launched. |
| "This was a truly tragic accident but our understanding of the circumstances is that it did not involve a vessel and therefore is not something the Branch would investigate." | "This was a truly tragic accident but our understanding of the circumstances is that it did not involve a vessel and therefore is not something the Branch would investigate." |
| The incident involved 10 swimmers on a day when the beach was packed during half-term. | |
| In the immediate aftermath, the Dorset Belle sightseeing boat was impounded by police, although the force added that no swimmer was involved in any collision or contact with any vessel in the water. | |
| The Dorset Belle pleasure boat was inspected by police following the deaths | |
| The manslaughter suspect, in his 40s, was later released while inquiries continued, Dorset Police said. | |
| The force has been asked for an update on the status of its inquiries. | |
| A preliminary inquest hearing was told there was a "suggestion" a riptide led to the pair drowning. | |
| Riptides are strong currents running out to sea that can quickly drag people and objects away from the shallows of the shoreline and out to deeper water. | |
| Stephanie Williams (pictured with Sunnah) said she had lost her "beautiful girl" | |
| Previously Joe's family described him as "a fabulous young man", while Sunnah's mother Stephanie Williams posted on Twitter to pay tribute to her "beautiful daughter". | |
| She wrote: "No parent should ever have to go through what her dad and I are going through. We love you so much baby girl." | |
| Sunnah's school described the 12-year-old as "bold and happy", whose personality "resonated throughout the school". | |
| Teachers at City College Southampton, where Joe was studying catering, said they were "in tears" over his death. | |
| Friends of Joe Abbess (L-R) - Jack, Ben, Leo and Jack - paid tribute to the "much-loved" student | |
| His friend and fellow student Jack said: "He was definitely the life of the kitchen. Bubbly, happy, trying to spread the cheeriness throughout the kitchen. | |
| "Now I'm heartbroken. We all loved him so much." | |
| Follow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk. | Follow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk. |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Southampton | Southampton |
| Bournemouth | Bournemouth |