A father who was on a pleasure cruise as two children died at Bournemouth beach on Wednesday has said lifeguards were warnign people not to get too close to the pier before the tragedy occurred.
Along with dozens of others, Luke Owen was on the Dorset Belle just minutes before 10 people got into trouble in the water on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of two, a boy aged 17, and a girl, aged 12.
The boat has now been impounded by police at Cobb’s Quay Marina in Poole, with a man in his 40s arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, before being released under investigation.
Mr Owen told the Mirror: “When we looked no one was on the beach and before we left everyone was on the beach. It was empty, everyone was just staring.
“I’m first thinking it was a shark attack, because I did hear there was a shark attack a few weeks back.
“To be honest, to me it sounds like a terrible tragedy. It was said quite a few times about the rip tides the day before. And the lifeguards were advising people not to get close to the pier.
“There was announcements over the course of the three days, and there are flags you have to stay within.”
Mr Owen said he had spoken to the boat operator and was told one person had been pulled from the water with another missing.
He added: “As he’s told me that, we looked up to the sea and the 17-year-old was being pulled out. The ambulance came across and collected him.”
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