On 2 January, a 15-year-old girl named Grace Keeling from Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, was swept out to sea while posing for photos near the dangerous waters of Withernsea, East Yorkshire. Her mother, Sarah Keeling, aged 45, died trying to save her, and local hero Mark Ratcliffe, 67, tragically drowned attempting a rescue.
The inquest held in Hull heard dramatic eyewitness accounts and paid tribute to the bravery displayed that day.
Grace was posing with a friend near the steps from the promenade by the Pier Towers when a huge wave engulfed her “in a blink,” according to the friend’s police statement. The teenager recalled, “I turned round and, in like a split second, Grace was gone.” Despite screaming for help, Grace had no chance to save herself before being dragged into the sea.
Sarah Keeling arrived at the scene in panic, desperately calling out for help and entering the water to save her daughter. The friend said, “Sarah never made it to Grace because of the waves.” The sea conditions were so severe, with waves up to 12ft high, that Sarah was quickly overwhelmed and lost to the sea herself.
Mark Ratcliffe, a 67-year-old local man, bravely entered the water to attempt a rescue. The coroner praised his selfless act, stating he risked his own safety and labelled his actions “an act of bravery.” The inquest heard that Mr Ratcliffe’s grandchildren “will grow up knowing their granddad was a hero.”
The coastguard, RNLI, firefighters, and over 100 police officers responded immediately. While Mrs Keeling and Mr Ratcliffe’s bodies were recovered the same day, a 13-day search was needed to locate Grace’s body, which was trapped beneath large sea defence boulders. Emergency services and construction crews battled poor weather and tides during a two-day operation to recover her remains.
A local fisherman with 40 years’ experience described the conditions as some of the worst he had ever seen, with waves reaching 12ft, strong enough to hurl rocks onto the promenade. Lifeboats were unable to launch due to the rough sea, underscoring the perilous environment during the tragedy.
Originally published by UKNIP.
