Bournemouth lifeguards 'panicked', say family of girl who drowned

The family of a 12-year-old girl who drowned in a rip tide off Bournemouth beach have told an inquest that they questioned the conduct of the "very young" and "panicked" lifeguards who took 50 minutes to find her in shallow water.

- Sammy Gecsoyler

Sunnah Khan, 12, and Joe Abbess, 17, drowned in May last year, and eight other people were treated by paramedics, after they were caught inariptide next to the pier at the Dorset seaside resort.

At the inquest into their deaths yesterday, Stephanie Williams paid tribute to her "kind, funny, reliable, smart and incredibly beautiful" daughter, Sunnah, and criticised the response of the lifeguards on duty. She said: "Why did it take 50 minutes to locate Sunnah in less than 5ft of water?"

In a statement read to the court, Asim Khan said the lifeguards on duty were "mostly very young" who "looked like they didn't know what to do".