The mother and daughter who died after getting into difficulty in the water off the Essex coast have been identified as 42-year-old Shally Rahman and her 15-year-old daughter, Samiha Rahman.
The family also confirmed that a seven-year-old boy remains in a serious condition in hospital.
Emergency responders were called to West Mersea beach near Colchester at about 5:35 p.m. on Wednesday after reports of people in distress in the water.
Witnesses said a group had been stranded on a seabank as the tide rose and were heard calling for help.
The East of England Ambulance Service said one casualty was airlifted to hospital, while three others were taken by road for treatment.
A police cordon remained in place on Thursday as investigators continued their inquiries into the incident that has left the coastal community in shock.
Family friend Mishba Uddin, from Colchester, said the victims’ families had travelled from east London and Barking for a day trip to the beach.
He said the children’s father is a doctor of Bangladeshi heritage, adding that he knew the children’s grandfather well.
“They are a very nice and likeable family,” added Mr Uddin.
Beach hut owner Beverly Smit, 60, said she became aware of the emergency response on Wednesday evening and went to the beach to find out what had happened.
“By that time they were re-sussing the person on the beach, the helicopters were still in the fields,” said Ms Smit, who works for a local dentist.
She said she later spoke with a visitor who had rented a nearby beach hut and had attempted to assist those in difficulty.
“It’s not an easy swim when the tide’s coming in, you’re swimming against the tide, the water yesterday was particularly quite cold.”
Another witness, who declined to be identified, said the incident occurred during high tide.
The coastguard rescue team described the incident as tragic, while emergency services urged members of the public to stay away from part of the beach during the rescue operation.
Detective Chief Inspector Al Pitcher said: “Today, our thoughts remain with the family members who are coming to terms with their loss.
“We are grateful to the people who have already spoken to us and helped with our enquiries. We would ask anyone who was at the beach at the time, and who has not yet spoken with officers, to please get in touch, to help us understand what happened.”
He added: “At this stage of our enquiries, we believe those involved in the incident knew each other. Anyone who was in the area at the time and has information or footage which may assist our investigation is asked to contact us on 101 and quote incident 1090.”
Park Holidays UK, which operates the West Mersea Holiday Park next to the beach, expressed sympathy to those affected by the tragedy.
A company spokesperson told The Independent that everyone at the holiday park was devastated by the incident and extended heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of those involved.
The spokesperson also clarified that the family linked to the incident were not guests staying at the park.
