News Editor Matt Atherton is reporting from the scene.
Leonie Powling, 19, was one of the heroes who helped to save a number of people in the water last night.
It was good to know their actions helped to save lives, but her thoughts remained with the victims’ families.
She told the Mirror: “We had someone run to the cafe saying they needed help, so we all stopped what we were doing and ran to the beach.
“We saw some people on the beach, and there were still some casualties in the water. We started running around, trying to find anyone with a kayak or a paddleboard. We couldn’t just run into the water because there was a riptide, and everyone would’ve just been sucked in.
“We were sat with a casualty making sure she was okay. There was another casualty we got out of the water, who was struggling to breathe at that point. One of the workers went up to her, patted her on the back and said: ‘You need to make yourself throw up.’
“After that, the RNLI got into the water and got the other casualties out. The ambulance and the police turned up and we were all leading them to where the casualties were.
“I’m feeling fine now, to be fair, but it’s not good to know people have died. But it’s good to know that some of them survived. That’s the best thing about it.
“We got some people out, safe and okay. One is in serious condition, but will hopefully get better. With the other two, we’re just thinking about the family. It’s heartbreaking.”
