Malika Shamas and Haider Ali died after getting into difficulty in water near Essex town’s pier

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

A 14-year-old girl who got into difficulty in the sea off Essex with her older brother and cousin died of immersion, an inquest has heard, while her brother died of pneumonia, brain damage and drowning two days later.

Malika Shamas, from Luton, was on a family trip to Clacton-on-Sea and got into difficulty in the water near Clacton pier at around 1.40pm on 8 August with her brother Haider Ali, 18, and a cousin, Wednesday’s hearing in Chelmsford was told.

Coroner’s officer Jemma Cook said Malika was pulled from the water and a lifeguard performed CPR on her.

She was taken to Colchester general hospital where she died later that day.

Haider was also pulled from the water and was found to be in cardiac arrest, Cook said.

He died in hospital on 10 August.

A postmortem examination recorded Malika’s provisional cause of death as immersion and toxicology tests are being carried out.

Haider’s provisional cause of death was recorded as pneumonia and brain damage, with drowning given as a contributory factor.

Essex’s senior coroner, Caroline Beasley-Murray, opening and adjourning the two inquests, said: “Please let the court’s sympathy be extended to the family at this dreadful time.”

A full inquest has been set for 17 February.

Essex police said a 15-year-old girl who was also pulled from the water was expected to make a full recovery.

Witnesses have 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.

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