A 17-year-old boy who died after getting into difficulty in the water off Bournemouth beach on Wednesday has been named by Dorset Police as Joe Abbess, from Southampton.

A 12-year-old girl – named locally as Sunnah Khan – also died in the incident, while another eight people were injured.

Joe’s family issued a tribute to him through Dorset Police: “We are heartbroken and devastated at the death of our Joe. He was a wonderful son and brother who is sadly missed.

“His family and friends will always love him and we are incredibly proud of the fabulous young man he was. He was kind and generous, loving and caring, hardworking and funny.

“Joe was a talented trainee chef, with a bright future ahead of him. We were privileged to have him in our lives for 17 years and we are so sorry he will never fulfil his dreams and ambitions.

“He was enjoying a day at the beach on Wednesday and we would like to thank his friends and all of the emergency services who helped him, when this tragedy unfolded.”

A man who was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over the deaths of the two youngsters was released under investigation while enquiries continued, police said on Thursday.

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