Mum and daughter die moments after posing for photograph at Withernsea Beach
Sarah Keeling, 45, and her daughter Grace, 15, were tragically swept out to sea at Withernsea Beach, Yorkshire, on January 2. Hero Mark Ratcliffe, 67, also died attempting to rescue them as Grace’s young brother watched on
Heartbreaking details have been revealed about the final moments of a mother and her young daughter before they were tragically swept out to sea on a beach in Withernsea.
The tide was fierce as Sarah Keeling, 45, and her 15-year-old daughter Grace decided to venture towards the sea. They stood watching the powerful waves crash along the shoreline, with Grace reportedly in high spirits as she climbed some stairs for a better view.
Sarah asked her daughter to turn away from the waves so she could snap a photo of her. Neither of them anticipated the impending disaster that would claim three lives.
A monstrous wave engulfed Grace, sweeping her out to sea at a terrifying speed. In panic, Sarah did what any mother would do instinctively – she plunged into the icy, turbulent water in an attempt to save her daughter.
Onshore, Grace’s little brother, who was said to be holding the family dog, could only watch helplessly as his mum and sister disappeared from sight, reports the Mirror.
A witness recounted the tragic incident, which occurred in Humber, Yorkshire, on January 2, to the Metro: “Grace was on the steps watching the sea. Sarah wanted to take a photo so Grace turned around to face her, then a massive wave came and swept her out to sea.
“Sarah started screaming and jumped right in after her. Her brother, a little boy, was left standing with the dog, just crying,” she continued. “I was gonna jump in. I was screaming and shouting, ‘let me go in,’ but my mum held me back.”
Richard Shaw, 68, was walking his dog in the area when he heard the mother and daughter’s cries for help. He seized a lifebelt and, after rushing to the water’s edge, attempted to hurl it to Grace – but she couldn’t get to it.
Massive waves eventually overwhelmed Richard and swept him up the ramp, according to the Mail Online, before another bystander managed to pull him to safety before he too was carried away.
He broke down in tears as he sat, drenched, beside the sea wall. “I was immensely sad,” he told the publication, “I knew she’d gone.”
Grace had rapidly been pulled out roughly 100 yards into the merciless waves, which were reportedly smashing against the sea wall that day.
Devastatingly, Sarah had also disappeared. Richard continued: “I knew the mother could not be stopped from attempting to save her, and it was immensely sad knowing that. This is an impossible situation, the sea is in charge here and we are not”.
Courageously, another passer-by also plunged into the water. Mark Ratcliffe, 67, leapt into the icy sea and terrifying 12-foot waves in a frantic bid to rescue Grace – but neither he nor Sarah made it out alive.
In a touching tribute to the brave Mark, who gave his life for strangers, his family said: “A true selfless hero with a heart of gold, who was so cruelly taken trying to save others.
“So many lives are now shattered that you’re gone. You were loved by so many people, and we will all miss you forever. A loving husband, father, son, brother, and the best grandad anybody could ever wish for. Sleep tight, we love you, we miss you.”
A mate also revealed to the Metro that she’d had a chat with Grace just before she was tragically swept away. She said: “Grace was in such a good mood just before. She was very happy. It was such a shame her life got taken so soon – all in one flash.”
Elaborating on the strong relationship between mother and daughter, she added: “Grace was a good kid and she didn’t deserve to go like this she would’ve lived a lot longer.”
The bodies of Sarah and Mark were discovered on the evening of 2 January. The search for Grace’s remains by the Coastguard was halted on Saturday afternoon, and while Humberside Police officers continue their search, she remains missing – with numerous tributes to those who died left at the scene.
The search for all three victims was initially delayed, with emergency services unable to launch their boats from the station due to the size of the waves on that tragic day. “An assessment was made of the launch conditions and, due to extremely large breaking waves on the launch ramp, we couldn’t launch immediately,” rescuers from the Hornsea Inshore Rescue stated in a post on Facebook.
“A casualty care crew was dispatched to Withernsea to assist with the incident.
“Eventually, although still extremely difficult, demanding sea conditions, a decision was made that we would be able to safely launch the boat at this time. A crew of four proceeded to the scene and assisted with the search along with RNLI, the Coastguard and other SAR assets until being stood down after many search patterns had been carried out.”
The statement continued: “The crew returned to station and a safe but challenging recovery to the trailer was made. We’d like to send our thoughts and love to all involved in such a tragic incident, to all the friends and families of Mark, Sarah and Grace at this very sad time, you are all in our thoughts.”
