Clacton Pier: Family pays tribute to brother and sister

The family of a teenage brother and sister who died after getting into trouble in the sea have paid tribute to them and said there should have been more warning signs about the dangers of going in the water.

Haider Shamas, 18, of Luton, died in hospital on Saturday, two days after his 14-year-old sister Malika after being pulled from the water close to Clacton Pier, Essex.

Their father Shamas Riaz told ITV News: “I don’t understand what happened.”

He said: “They were beautiful. I miss them.

“Haider was great. He liked sport, to study.

“Malika was happy. She made other people happy.”

The siblings were in the water at Clacton-on-Sea with a relative, a 15-year-old girl who is expected to make a full recovery.

The council insist the beach is safe, according to ITV News.

The incident happened little more than a year after 15-year-old drowned near the pier.

Haider and Malika’s uncle Majid Riaz told ITV News: “The authorities knew of what happened a year before, they should have improved the safety measurements for the families coming. Now we suffered it. It does get you angry.”

Witnesses had previously described “distressing” scenes as lifeguards and paramedics scrambled to help the three teenagers after they were spotted struggling near Marine Parade.

Several members of the public supported the rescue effort and two other people were also treated at the beach, but did not need to be taken to hospital.

Witness Becky Bryant, 40, a carer from Wivenhoe, told PA: “It was so distressing, everyone was trying to do what they could – lifeguards, air ambulance, they truly worked as a team.”

She said the teenagers were with a group of up to 30 people at the beach.