Bournemouth beach deaths: victims named as Joe Abbess and Sunnah Khan

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A 17-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl who died after getting into difficulty in the water off Bournemouth beach last week have been named as Joe Abbess and Sunnah Khan.

Joe, from Southampton, was described as a “fabulous young man” who was “kind and generous, loving and caring, hardworking and funny”, according to a family statement issued by Dorset police.

More than 200 people attended Sunnah’s funeral at the Central Mosque in High Wycombe to pay their respects on Saturday, according to reports, with people travelling from towns across the area.

A friend of Sunnah’s family told the Sun: “She will be missed by everyone, she was very popular and her death will leave a hole that will be impossible to fill.

“She had so much more to look forward to. She was an angel.”

The police are investigating the circumstances that led to their deaths. A man in his 40s who was on the water at the time was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. He has since been released under investigation while inquiries continue. There were also reports that police had impounded a pleasure boat, the Dorset Belle, which sails from the pier.

Ten people were recovered from the water when emergency services attended the scene on Wednesday afternoon. Joe and Sunnah sustained critical injuries and later died in hospital. Eight other people were treated by paramedics for injuries that were not life-threatening.

Joe and Sunnah were from separate groups visiting the beach and the arrested man was not known to them, the police said.

Joe’s family thanked friends and emergency services who helped him when the tragedy unfolded.

“We are heartbroken and devastated at the death of our Joe. He was a wonderful son and brother who is sadly missed,” the family said.

“Joe was a talented trainee chef, with a bright future ahead of him. We were privileged to have him in our lives for 17 years and we are so sorry he will never fulfil his dreams and ambitions.”

Mohammed Rafiq, 65, a trustee at the Wycombe Islamic Mission and Mosque, said friends of Sunnah’s family and the local community are “not any wiser” about what happened. “All we know is just from hearsay,” he said.

He told the Telegraph: “There were hundreds of people at the funeral, the mosque was basically overflowing. I know the extended family, they have been living in High Wycombe for the last 40 or 50 years, they are well-respected and well-known in the community. It’s a close-knit community here – everybody knows everybody.”

The Bournemouth East MP, Tobias Ellwood, has called for a safety review and said police should clarify the circumstances of what happened on Wednesday to end “wild speculation”.

Dorset police have urged people not to speculate about the circumstances surrounding the incident.

DCS Neil Corrigan, of Dorset police, said: “Early investigation indicates that there was no physical contact between a vessel and any swimmers at the time of the incident and there is no suggestion of people jumping from the pier or jetskis being involved.

“We know that the beach was very busy when this incident occurred. I am urging anyone who saw what happened, or has any information that may assist our investigation, to please come forward.

Corrigan said police are keeping an “open mind” about the circumstances that led to the two deaths.

“As with any investigation of this nature, we have to look at all factors connected to the state of the water,” he said.

“One of those lines of inquiry has involved the pleasure boat, which was in the area at the time of the incident. These inquiries also include examining wind, other weather and general coastal conditions at the time.

“We are working with experts from partner agencies to understand all of the factors and this will take time to establish.

“We continue to support the families of Joe and Sunnah and they are being kept updated by specially trained family liaison officers about our investigation.”