All boat operations have been suspended off Bournemouth pier following the deaths of two young swimmers last week, the local authority has announced.
Trainee chef Joe Abbess, 17, from Southampton, and Sunnah Khan, 12, from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, drowned and eight others were treated by paramedics after they were suspected to have been caught in a riptide next to the pier at the Dorset seaside resort on 31 May.
A Bournemouth Christchurch Poole council spokesman said: “All boat operations from the pier have been suspended as a precaution, pending a conclusion to the police investigation.”
Dorset police impounded the pleasure cruiser Dorset Belle at its berth in Poole Harbour after the fatal incident. A man in his 40s, who police said was “on the water” at the time, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and later released under investigation.
The force said it was continuing to investigate the circumstances involving the 49-year-old boat, which has a capacity of 80 passengers, as well as the weather and sea conditions at the time of the incident.
An inquest into the deaths opened in Bournemouth on Monday and heard that the two young people who died were part of a group thought to have been caught up in a riptide in the sea near to the pier.
Postmortem tests revealed they had both died of drowning, the inquest was told, before the coroner, Rachael Griffin, adjourned proceedings until September.
Joe was studying at City College Southampton. His teachers said in a joint statement that he was “an exceptional student who made a huge impact on both the hospitality team and his classmates and he will be deeply missed”, adding: “We loved teaching Joe, he was a gem, with a great sense of humour and an undeniable passion for hospitality.”
His family said: “We are heartbroken and devastated at the death of our Joe. He was a wonderful son and brother who is sadly missed. He was kind and generous, loving and caring, hardworking and funny.”
Posting on Twitter, Stephanie Williams said of her daughter Sunnah: “On Wednesday I lost my beautiful daughter at Bournemouth beach. Sunnah was so well loved and well liked. No parent should ever have to go through what her dad and I are going through. We love you so much baby girl.”
