Police have released an update on a "major incident" which lead to the death of two children.
A 17-year-old-boy and a 12-year-old girl died after being pulled from the sea at Bournemouth beach on Wednesday, May 31. Police confirmed that ten people, all thought to be children, were involved.
Both the teenage boy and the girl were taken to hospital but were pronounced dead a short time later. The other eight people were treated by the ambulance service for injuries that are not thought to be life-threatening.
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A man in his 40s has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. Following speculation the casualties had been struck by a jet ski or boat, Dorset Police have today confirmed otherwise, the Mirror reports.
In a statement, the force said this morning: "We continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragic incident that occurred yesterday resulting in the deaths of a 12-year-old girl and 17-year-old boy. We are working with partner agencies to understand what has caused the tragedy.
"However, early investigation indicates that there was no physical contact between a vessel and any swimmers at the time of the incident. We are investigating the circumstances that caused a number of swimmers to get into difficulty. Further information will be released as the investigation progresses."
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident will see Dorset Police work alongside the Marine Accident Investigation Branch and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in accordance with established protocols. A police cordon remains in place.
Detective Chief Superintendent Neil Corrigan, of Dorset Police, said: "Our thoughts are with the loved ones of the young people who tragically died and we are doing all we can to support their families. I understand the beach was very busy at the time of the incident and I would ask anyone with information that may assist our enquiries to please come forward.
"We are at the early stages of our investigation and would ask people not to speculate about the circumstances surrounding the incident."
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