Rescue couple question lack of life-saving gear

Craig and Carly Bowe hailed the team effort of everyone who tried to help on the beach

A couple who tried to rescue a mother and daughter who drowned have called for more life-saving equipment on the beach where they died.

Craig Bowe, 42, battled the incoming tide at West Mersea, near Colchester, three times after hearing screams on Wednesday evening, while wife Carly, 43, rang 999.

Their daughters ran to a cafe to retrieve the life jacket and flotation ring used by Craig, who said: "I think the floating devices have to be closer to the front of the shore."

A risk assessment by the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) UK in March concluded rescue equipment would be unlikely to be effectively deployed in an emergency, said Colchester City Council.

Shally Rahman, 41, and Samiha Rahman, 15, died on Wednesday while trying to help a seven-year-old relative out of the water.

"There has to be more life jackets, there has to be more rings, so the fact that my daughter had to go over the road to the cafe to get a life jacket is so frustrating," said Carly.

Craig said by the third rescue, he had put on the life jacket to help with his own buoyancy in the increasingly rough sea while he used the ring to help bring back one of the survivors.

West Mersea resident Stephen Vince says he believes there should be more safety signs on the beach

A council spokesperson said the "installation [of life saving equipment] within the assessed area" was not recommended by the RLSS due to "factors including the beach profile, tidal range and lateral currents".

The council said it had arranged the independent beach risk assessment, which had advised improving signs about water safety.

These had been commissioned and were due to be installed later this month, the council added.

Safety improvements at West Mersea beach are being called for following the tragedy

Following the tragedy, West Mersea resident Stephen Vince said: "We should have done more about signage."

He said although there were signs, he thought more were needed to warn people about the "sandbanks and the undercurrents there, and to keep inshore".

Vince said orange life rings had been installed around the beach the day before the incident due to a community effort.

Adam Scott-Hays, chairman of West Mersea Beach Hut Watch, said: "Signage is required and it has to be simple and educational, and it needs to be put together by the right people. You need to be qualified.

"The execution of anything needs to be a co-ordinated response."

Scott-Hays added that some visitors "have no idea on tides, so there needs t