An inquest has revealed distressing testimonies from witnesses who were swept out to sea by a rip current, resulting in the tragic drowning of two young individuals.

Joe Abbess, 17, from Southampton, and 12-year-old Sunnah Khan from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, lost their lives while swimming at Bournemouth Beach in May 2023. Eight other individuals were also rescued and treated by paramedics following the incident.

Witnesses described the sudden onset of dangerous conditions, with one stating that the waves changed “from zero to absolute chaos with no warning.” 

The Dorset Coroner’s Court heard a statement from one of Joe's friends, who recalled, "There were really strong, big waves that came out of nowhere and knocked me over and under the water. I couldn’t get up and was taking in a lot of water. I couldn’t breathe and thought I was going to die… At one point, I looked up and saw the rest of the group swimming back to shore. I didn’t shout for help because I actually thought I was going to die, and I didn’t want anyone else to get into trouble because of me."

The friend described being "really, really far out... much further than the end of the pier" before he managed to breathe again and swam backstroke to stay afloat. "It seemed to take me ages," he said, adding, "When I got back to shallower water where I could stand, I was exhausted."

Coroner Rachael Griffin also read a statement from another boy who had entered the water with Joe. "Out of nowhere, a wave hit Joe, and it was larger than his head," he said. "Waves started coming and getting stronger. It happened all of a sudden."

The last he saw of Joe was as the teenager was swept further out to sea while he began to panic, realizing he could no longer touch the bottom. "The water was going over his head, and he started to scream for help, saying, ‘I can’t breathe.’ He then noticed another woman nearby who was also struggling and screaming for help."