No vessel came into physical contact with any swimmers before yesterday’s tragic incident, police have confirmed. 

Two children, a girl aged 12 and a boy aged 17, died yesterday afternoon following an incident in the water off Bournemouth beach by the pier. 

Eight other people were also pulled from the water during the rescue operation at around 4.30pm. 

Police are still investigating what happened and have suggested that no one who was rescued from the water was hit by either a jet ski or a boat. 

Read more: Girl and boy die after incident at Bournemouth beach - live updates

In a statement issued today, a Dorset Police spokesperson said: “We continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragic incident that occurred yesterday resulting in the deaths of a 12-year-old girl and 17-year-old boy. 

 “We are working with partner agencies to understand what has caused the tragedy.  

“However, early investigation indicates that there was no physical contact between a vessel and any swimmers at the time of the incident.  

“We are investigating the circumstances that caused a number of swimmers to get into difficulty. 

“Further information will be released as the investigation progresses.”