Beachgoer drowns after saving granddaughter from rising tide

Edward Moore was in the sea with the 18-month-old girl when they became trapped on a 100yard sandbar by rapidly rising water.

Mr Moore, who has not been named, hoisted the baby above the waves and plunged through the water with his head submerged.

The 43-year-old managed to get close to the beach and pass the child to a member of his family before losing consciousness and having to be pulled from the water.

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They were airlifted to Southampton General Hospital by helicopter, where he died. The little girl was unharmed.

Mr Moore, from Southampton, Hampshire, was on nearby Lepe beach on Sunday with his daughter and a girlfriend, both 11, his son and his granddaughter.

He was holding the baby while he and the two girls were playing with a ball in waist-deep water off the end of the narrow sandbar, which runs directly out to sea from the beach.

When the ball was thrown into deeper water the man gave the infant to his daughter and went to get it. But the tide raced in and left the group stranded.

He took the baby and struggled through the water while the youngsters swam to the beach and alerted lifeguards.

Steve Holding, 52, from Southampton, saw the drama unfold at 3pm.

He said: "I suddenly became aware of screams from the water.

"The guy looked like he was in trouble. He was rescued, but he didn't look good."

Student Tom Minihan, 16, who was playing football on nearby cliffs said: "The man was out on the spit with the baby when the water came in quickly and surrounded him.

"He was waving the baby above his head and struggling to get back. A guy on the beach saw that he was in trouble and swam out to them.

"He took the baby and started to head back thinking the other guy would follow.

"When he turned around he just saw the man floating. The little girl's father turned up and he was in a real state."

A Hampshire Police spokesman said: "His head was under the water and he was bobbing up and down to try and get some air.

"Members of the public and other family members came to assist and they managed to carry the baby to safety.

"The man had been submerged for some time and was unconscious when he was brought to safety."

Philip Pearce-Smith, 74, of the Venturers Search and Rescue lifeboat service at Lepe, said: "The spit down there is notorious.

"The current must have been moving at about four knots - that's double what is necessary to take you off your feet."