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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Rescuers in fight to save babies | Rescuers in fight to save babies |
| (1 day later) | |
| Witnesses have told of the desperate attempts of passers-by to save a two-year-old girl who ended up in the sea off Kent but died in hospital. | Witnesses have told of the desperate attempts of passers-by to save a two-year-old girl who ended up in the sea off Kent but died in hospital. |
| Local boat owner Jeremy Francis battled with about six other people to save two adults and two children from the sea. | Local boat owner Jeremy Francis battled with about six other people to save two adults and two children from the sea. |
| He said rescuers grabbed the babies "quickly" because they were light and buoyant - but they looked "awful". | He said rescuers grabbed the babies "quickly" because they were light and buoyant - but they looked "awful". |
| Mr Francis said the sea was "as high as it gets" on Sunday. Police named the toddler who died as Rebecca Hopper. | Mr Francis said the sea was "as high as it gets" on Sunday. Police named the toddler who died as Rebecca Hopper. |
| The girl was in a buggy with her eight-month-old brother Lewis when the pushchair fell into the water. | The girl was in a buggy with her eight-month-old brother Lewis when the pushchair fell into the water. |
| The children were with their father and his female friend, all from Chatham, at the time. | The children were with their father and his female friend, all from Chatham, at the time. |
| Mr Francis, 54, had been sitting in his boat, The Dolphin, on the shoreline with his friend Shaun Joyce, 44, when they were alerted to the unfolding tragedy. | Mr Francis, 54, had been sitting in his boat, The Dolphin, on the shoreline with his friend Shaun Joyce, 44, when they were alerted to the unfolding tragedy. |
| He said: "We were just having a cup of tea in the boat and a woman ran up and said 'I think there's someone in the water, can you help?'" | He said: "We were just having a cup of tea in the boat and a woman ran up and said 'I think there's someone in the water, can you help?'" |
| Mr Joyce was first out of the boat and ran towards the scene where a black dog was standing looking into the water, he said. | Mr Joyce was first out of the boat and ran towards the scene where a black dog was standing looking into the water, he said. |
| He said: "I cycled and got the lifebuoy. I was third or fourth on the scene." | He said: "I cycled and got the lifebuoy. I was third or fourth on the scene." |
| Mr Francis added: "I expected to see one guy in the water, we've had that before, but I wasn't prepared to see two adults and two babies in the water. | Mr Francis added: "I expected to see one guy in the water, we've had that before, but I wasn't prepared to see two adults and two babies in the water. |
| "The whole situation became far more serious then. | "The whole situation became far more serious then. |
| "There are ramps that run into the sea and the sea was as high as it gets." | "There are ramps that run into the sea and the sea was as high as it gets." |
| He added: "We then quickly handed the babies up. They came out of the water quite quickly, they were light, you could just grab them and get them out. | He added: "We then quickly handed the babies up. They came out of the water quite quickly, they were light, you could just grab them and get them out. |
| "Shaun was grabbing everyone and passing them up. I got the second baby, the little girl, and carried her up to the level area at the top. | "Shaun was grabbing everyone and passing them up. I got the second baby, the little girl, and carried her up to the level area at the top. |
| It tears lumps out of you, it's really awful Jeremy Francis | It tears lumps out of you, it's really awful Jeremy Francis |
| "She looked awful, they both looked awful. As a parent it was an awful thing to see." | "She looked awful, they both looked awful. As a parent it was an awful thing to see." |
| Mr Francis said he stayed with the babies while Mr Joyce helped the adults from the water. | Mr Francis said he stayed with the babies while Mr Joyce helped the adults from the water. |
| One man wrapped the baby in a coat, while he carried two-year-old Rebecca, who later died. | One man wrapped the baby in a coat, while he carried two-year-old Rebecca, who later died. |
| Describing his attempts to save her, he said: "I inverted her to try and tip some water out of her and laid her on the floor and put her head on the side. | Describing his attempts to save her, he said: "I inverted her to try and tip some water out of her and laid her on the floor and put her head on the side. |
| "Two members of the public then started to perform mouth-to-mouth. | "Two members of the public then started to perform mouth-to-mouth. |
| Two-year-old Rebecca Hopper was airlifted to London from the Kent coast | Two-year-old Rebecca Hopper was airlifted to London from the Kent coast |
| "The parents were beside themselves, absolutely distraught." | "The parents were beside themselves, absolutely distraught." |
| He said it was still not known what had happened but a buggy had ended up in the water and "everything else" was speculation. | He said it was still not known what had happened but a buggy had ended up in the water and "everything else" was speculation. |
| Mr Francis said: "It tears lumps out of you, it's really awful. God knows what those parents are going through." | Mr Francis said: "It tears lumps out of you, it's really awful. God knows what those parents are going through." |
| Fellow witness Pete Booth, from Rochdale, said waves pushed the parents high enough for rescuers to grab the eldest child. | Fellow witness Pete Booth, from Rochdale, said waves pushed the parents high enough for rescuers to grab the eldest child. |
| "They were literally bobbing up and down in the water," he said. | "They were literally bobbing up and down in the water," he said. |
| Rebecca was airlifted to hospital in London in a critical condition, but died on Sunday night, Kent Police said. | Rebecca was airlifted to hospital in London in a critical condition, but died on Sunday night, Kent Police said. |
| Lewis was taken to the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford where he was said to be in a stable condition. | |
| The two adults were taken to hospital in Ashford as a precaution. | |
| The RNLI lifeboat sent a recovery vessel to the shore and coastguards from Folkestone also attended the incident at Warren Apron, near Folkestone, just before 1500 GMT. | The RNLI lifeboat sent a recovery vessel to the shore and coastguards from Folkestone also attended the incident at Warren Apron, near Folkestone, just before 1500 GMT. |