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Weekend break ends in drowning tragedy

Emma Mountford
28/ 8/2008

A YOUNG woman who drowned while on a weekend break was seen rowing with her boyfriend just moments before.

Claire Burns, 21, from Blackley, was pulled from the Irish Sea, at Blackpool by a lifeboat crew in the early hours of Sunday morning. She was taken to hospital but could not be saved.

Police, who are treating the death as suspicious, said that her family were ‘devastated by the events’ and called the incident ‘a very real tragedy’.

Her family were believed to be too upset to talk any more about the tragedy as the Guardian went to press.

A 21-year-old man, understood to be Claire’s boyfriend, was also rescued from the sea by coastguards.

He was arrested and questioned on suspicion of Claire’s murder but has now been released on police bail pending further enquiries, Lancashire Police confirmed.

It is understood that the young couple had been spending the Bank Holiday weekend in the resort and had visited several bars and clubs in the popular Queen Street area.

They were last spotted near the Metropole Hotel in the North Shore area of Blackpool, where witnesses told police they had a heated argument before walking off towards the sea wall near the Cenotaph on the Promenade.

It is not yet known how they ended up in the water and police are appealing for witnesses

Blackpool’s inshore lifeboat was alerted at 2am. The man, who has not been named, was rescued from the waters first then taken to Blackpool’s Victoria Hospital with head injuries, believed to have been caused when he was thrown by high waves against the sea wall.

The lights of a police helicopter then guided rescue teams to Claire, who was pulled from the water and given emergency treatment by paramedics.

She was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital but doctors could not save her and she died shortly after 6am.

Chief Inspector Neil Esseen said: "This is a very real tragedy and our condolences go the family of Claire.

"I have met them and there is no doubt they are devastated by the events that have taken Claire from them.

"We are continuing to find out how Claire came to be in the water that night, and would repeat my appeal for anyone who may have seen Claire near to the sea wall near to the Metropole to come forward."

A force spokesman added: "A 21-year-old male arrested in connection with the incident has been released on police bail whilst further enquiries are made to ascertain exactly what happened."

Coastguards standing in for colleagues who at the time were taking part in a 48-hour national strike said that the industrial action had not contributed to Claire’s death.