Bournemouth beach

A coroner has ruled that the pleasure cruiser Dorset Belle was not involved in the deaths of two young people who drowned off Bournemouth beach, on the UK’s south coast, on 31 May 2023.

Joe Abbess, 17, from Southampton, and 12-year-old Sunnah Khan, from High Wycombe, died after they were caught in a rip current near the pier at the Dorset seaside resort. Eight other people were treated by paramedics at the scene.

Following the incident, Dorset Police impounded the Dorset Belle, which ran trips from Bournemouth Pier, and arrested a man in his 40s on suspicion of manslaughter. However, after consulting an expert as part of their investigation, the police determined that the boat’s movement did not contribute to the dangerous sea conditions and the man faced no further action.

An inquest into the deaths of the two schoolchildren opens today (24 September 2024). During a pre-inquest review, coroner Rachael Griffin confirmed that the Dorset Belle was not a factor in the deaths of Joe and Sunnah. “I have ruled out the involvement of the Dorset Belle and it being a causative and contributory factor in Joe and Sunnah’s death,” Griffin says. “It would be speculative to link that boat to the deaths, but also it’s important that within the evidence there may be reference to previous incidents. There is no evidence that the boat was previously involved in previous incidents, again that is speculative to say it was.”

A previous hearing had established that a rip current was responsible for the deaths.

Representatives of both families have expressed their gratitude to the emergency services. Dr Anton Van Dellen, representing the Khan family, told the hearing: “My client is very grateful to South West Ambulance Service for all their strenuous efforts they made to try to save their daughter’s life, that is greatly appreciated.”

Harriet Short, representing the Abbess family, stated: “Mrs Abbess wishes to record in open court her gratitude to the emergency services, South West Ambulance Service, the air ambulance, and the RNLI, who attended for her son on that tragic day.”

Griffin says: “It’s clear to me how many lives were affected that day from the incident that arose and led to the deaths of Joe and Sunnah.”

The upcoming inquest is expected to provide further details on the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.

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