Dad Pays Tribute to Son Who Died After Beach Sea Rescue

A seven-year-old boy who died a week after being rescued from the sea at West Mersea on the Essex coast "never failed to bring happiness" to everyone around him, his father has said. Musa Ahmed and five relatives got into difficulty in the water on 22 July after travelling to the seaside from east London, and were swept away by what witnesses described as a "very strong" tide.

A tragedy that claimed three lives

Musa's 15-year-old cousin Sameeha Rahman and her mother Shelina, 41, drowned at the scene. Musa himself was airlifted to hospital in London, where he received treatment for a week before dying on Tuesday evening. His father, Shahin Ahmed, issued a tribute in which he described his son as "a unique and happy personality, a sphere of joy."

"Everyone who knew him had a unique relationship with him. He made every person feel special and never failed to bring happiness," Ahmed said. He also referred to Islam, saying Musa "embodied" traits of the Prophet Muhammad.

Community mourning

Around 100 people attended a vigil to remember the three victims on Wednesday evening. Police said bystanders at the beach made "significant efforts to help each other" as the emergency unfolded. One man, Craig Bowe, managed to help Musa onto a lifeboat but said the boy was "not in a good way" when found.

Essex Police detectives are speaking to people who were on the beach at the time to understand how the tragedy unfolded. Both Colchester City Council and West Mersea Town Council have said warning signs are due to be installed at the beach this summer in response to the incident.