Body recovered in search for girl missing at sea

A body has been recovered in the search for a missing girl, 15, who was swept into the sea off the East Yorkshire coast, Humberside Police has said.

Grace Keeling went into the water at Withernsea on 2 January. Her mother, Sarah Keeling, 45, and passer-by Mark Ratcliffe, 67, both died after trying to save her.

While formal identification is yet to take place, police said they believed this person to be Grace. The discovery was made on Thursday but her body was unable to be recovered due to tide times and conditions.

Det Supt Simon Vickers said: “This was a deeply upsetting incident, and I cannot begin to understand the heartbreak felt by all the loved ones of those involved.”

Vickers said they had spoken to Grace’s family and updated them, and were continuing to support them with specially trained officers.

“Understandably, they have asked for their privacy, and we would ask that this is respected,” he said.

Police said her body was discovered at about 08:30 GMT on Thursday on the rocks at Withernsea beach, following extensive searches over the past 14 days. They added that “despite every effort it was not possible to safely recover Grace before high tide yesterday”.

Officers said they were able to recover her body on Saturday morning with the help of HM Coastguard and Humberside Fire and Rescue Service.

Humberside Police thanked everyone who had offered or assisted in the search.

Vickers added: “Our thoughts and sincere sympathies will always remain with the families of Grace and Sarah Keeling, and Mark Ratcliffe following this utter tragedy.”

Police had previously said that, from trawling through CCTV and speaking to multiple witnesses, it was understood that Grace and a friend were on the steps near to the rocks when she was “believed to have fallen into the water after being swept by a wave”.

A major operation was launched at 15:10 GMT following reports of people in the water. It involved HM Coastguard, emergency services, the RNLI and included helicopters and lifeboats.

Ratcliffe, from Withernsea, was pulled unconscious from the sea and died at the scene. In a tribute, his family described him as a “true selfless hero with a heart of gold, who was so cruelly taken trying to save others”.

The body of Sarah Keeling, from Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, was recovered later the same evening.

Her close friend Joanne Gee said the 45-year-old “left a mark with absolutely everyone she met“.

An inquest into the deaths of Ratcliffe and Sarah Keeling was opened at Hull Coroners’ Court on 12 January and adjourned to a later date.