A Hertfordshire father has been hailed a hero after he bravely dived into treacherous waters in a frantic attempt to save a mother and daughter who tragically drowned off an Essex beach. Craig Bowe, a 42-year-old kitchen fitter from Northaw, was enjoying a day trip to West Mersea, near Colchester, on Wednesday, 22 July 2026, to celebrate his daughter's 10th birthday when the distressing incident unfolded.
Mr Bowe recounted hearing desperate screams shortly after 5:30 PM BST and immediately sprang into action. He battled the strong incoming tide three times, managing to pull 41-year-old Shally Rahman and her 15-year-old daughter, Samiha, from the waves. Bystanders on the beach, including Mr Bowe's wife Carly, immediately began administering CPR in a desperate effort to revive them. Despite these valiant efforts, both Shally and Samiha, who were on a family day out from Barking, east London, sadly passed away.
Undeterred, Mr Bowe returned to the water a third time to assist a seven-year-old boy and another child who were reportedly around 137 metres (150 yards) offshore and struggling. He helped to guide the young boy, who was described as being in a critical condition, onto a lifeboat. The boy was subsequently airlifted to hospital where he remains in a critical state. Three other individuals involved in the incident were taken by ambulance to a separate hospital.
Mr Bowe described the scene as far more serious than he initially anticipated, noting that the first two people he saw were face down in the water. He also highlighted the challenging conditions, remarking on the strength of the current and the waves hitting him in the face. It is understood that the seven-year-old boy may have become stranded on a sandbank before being cut off from the shore by the rising tide.
Both Craig and his wife Carly, who witnessed the victims enjoying themselves earlier in the day, have emphasised the collective effort of everyone on the beach. While many have called him a hero, Mr Bowe insists it was a team effort, with his wife adding that "Everybody on that beach that day played their part in giving that family the best chance they could to survive." Essex Police have launched an investigation into the tragic event and are urging any witnesses to come forward to help detectives piece together the circumstances.