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Lifeguards warned beachgoers of riptides prior to Bournemouth tragedy that saw two children killed

Lifeguards warned beachgoers of riptides before the tragedy at Bournemouth that saw a 17-year-old boy and 12-year-old girl killed, a passenger on the boat at the centre of investigations has revealed.

Passengers on the Dorset Belle pleasure cruiser at the centre of the drowning tragedy have described how they watched on as chaos caused by a dangerous riptide unfolded around them. A boy from Southampton, 17, and a girl from Buckinghamshire, 12, perished, and eight others had to be rescued.

Luke Owen was on board the cruiser at 4pm on Wednesday - revealing that lifeguards on the beach had warned people about riptides and not to swim close to the pier prior to the tragedy.