Parents pay tribute to children who drowned off Bournemouth Beach

The parents of 2 children who drowned disconnected Bournemouth Beach person paid tribute to them astatine an inquest into their deaths.

Joe Abbess, 17, from Southampton, and 12-year-old Sunnah Khan, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, some died aft getting into occupation successful the h2o successful May 2023.

Joe's mother, Vanessa, told Dorset Coroner's Court her lad "had a large beingness up of him", portion Sunnah's mother, Stephanie Williams, described her arsenic a "force of nature".

A erstwhile proceeding was told a rip existent tide had led to the deaths of the 2 youngsters, with 8 different radical needing attraction by paramedics connected the day.

Mrs Abbess besides work a connection connected behalf of herself and husband, Peter, paying tribute to Joe who had been a trainee cook for Southampton Football Club.

Her dependable breaking with emotion, she said: "Joe was a fantastic son, member and person and we are each devastated by his death. He is greatly missed.

"Our household and friends volition ever emotion him and we are incredibly arrogant of the fabulous young antheral helium was.

"Joe was generous, loving, caring, hardworking and funny.

"We were privileged to person him successful our lives for 17 years and we are each truthful atrocious that helium volition ne'er beryllium capable to fulfil his dreams and ambitions.

"Joe had a large beingness up of him and it is truthful tragic that helium was snatched distant from it. We each find a aboriginal without him successful our lives precise hard to comprehend."

Harriet Short, who represents the family, took implicit speechmaking the connection connected behalf of Mrs Abbess who had go excessively affectional to continue.

She described however Joe had gone to the formation connected 31 May with a ample radical of friends.

Unknowingly, she had messaged him astatine 15:45 BST, astir the clip the incidental was unfolding, saying: "Hope you're having amusive astatine the beach. It's truthful warm, don't hide to use prima pick and portion water."

The connection continued: "Maybe thing had alerted maine successful the depths of my caput that I felt I needed to connection Joe to cheque successful connected him."

One of Joe's friends aboriginal called her, sounding "hysterical", saying lifeguards were trying to get Joe retired of the water.

Ms Short said different person aboriginal called Mrs Abbess to accidental "Joe was successful the oversea erstwhile the waves got brainsick and that the alarm had been raised".

Mrs Abbess past received calls from the constabulary and successful a telephone astatine 17:41 an A&E advisor astatine the infirmary wherever helium had been taken told her unit "couldn't bash immoderate much for Joe".

Speaking successful court, Ms Williams paid a tearful tribute to her "kind, funny, reliable, astute and incredibly beauteous daughter".

She said she was "incredibly fashionable astatine school" and "fiercely protective of her family".

"Her grin lit up a country and her laughter was infectious," Ms Williams continued.

"She cared astir truthful galore radical and would bash thing for her household and friends.

"She was a unit of quality - to cognize her was to beryllium genuinely lucky.

"We person missed her and volition proceed to miss her for the remainder of our lives."

The inquest continues.