A coroner has called for better education for sea safety after a Southampton teen drowned off Bournemouth beach.

Joe Abbess, 17 from Southampton, and Sunnah Khan, 12 from Buckinghamshire, both died on May 31, 2023, after they were thought to have been caught in a rip current next to Bournemouth Pier.

The parents of the two questioned the lifeguard response to the incident, but the death was ruled as accidental by Dorset senior coroner Rachael Griffin.

READ MORE: Beach tragedy that killed Southampton teen was an accident, inquest finds

Despite noting that “nothing more than was done, could have been done” to prevent the children’s deaths, Ms Griffin has confirmed that she will be writing to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson over her concerns of the lack of mandatory school education for staying safe in water.

Joe Abbess, from Southampton, drowned off the coast of Bournemouth beach (Image: UGC) Ms Griffin said in a prevention of future deaths report: “There are inherent dangers of using any form of water and it is crucial for people to have an awareness of these risks and how to manage them as the lack of awareness could lead to more deaths from drowning.

“The lack of providing education to children around these risks through the national classroom curriculum could lead to future deaths.”

In her report published on Friday, the coroner noted that as of March 2020, one in four children did not have access to swimming lessons.

READ MORE: ‘We miss him every day’: Mum's tribute to son one year after beach tragedy

She also raised the concern that the primary school curriculum requires children to be able to swim at least 25 metres. 

Ms Griffin said: “If children do not get access to this vital lifesaving education in school, there are concerns as to where this awareness will come from."

Joe’s mother Vanessa Abbess has written to hundreds of schools about sea safety and, with the help of friends and family, has raised thousands for the charities who tried to save his life.

Joe Abbess and his mother Vanessa Abbess. (Image: Vanessa Abbess)

At the inquest conclusion, Vanessa said: “We feel much more can be done to improve education around water safety. We share the senior coroner’s concern that there should be mandatory water safety education for children.

“Like the senior coroner, I am concerned that this should be universal for all children.

“If any message can be taken from our loss, it is that rip currents can be dangerous, and everyone should know and practise the RNLI’s advice of float to live.”

The Education Secretary has a duty to respond to the coroner’s report within 56 days.