A DOCTOR has praised the work of the lifeguards on Bournemouth beach after a boy, 17, and a girl, 12, died.

Emergency services rushed to Bournemouth beach on Wednesday afternoon after an incident near the pier.

A 17-year-old boy from Southampton and a 12-year-old girl from Buckinghamshire died.

Eight other people were injured and a man in his 40s, who was on the water at the time, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

He has since been released under investigation.

Following the incident, a GP has spoken out to praise the lifeguards who were on the scene.

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Dr Rob Rosa said: "I happened to be on Bournemouth beach yesterday and was involved in the resuscitation attempt on the 12-year-old girl who tragically died.

"Many of the lifeguards on the beach were teenagers themselves and despite their training would not have encountered such a scene, let alone having to resuscitate two children simultaneously whilst actively searching for others in a crowded sea.

"These young lifeguards did everything asked of them, they didn’t panic, there was no hysteria, they were exceptional and they followed instruction to the letter whilst taking their own initiative.

"I hope they are able to spend time reflecting on how well they performed as individuals and as a team in exceptional circumstances that we all hope won’t be repeated.

"It seems 10 people got into difficulty in the water and it must have felt overwhelming for them before emergency help arrived on the scene.

"They absolutely did their bit and they should be rightly proud of how they coped under such pressure even though the outcome was so sad.

"I know RNLI have support services in place for them and they will be able to process the event, but I shall be donating to them today.

"They did not turn up for work expecting that yesterday and behind the scenes praise should be offered to each and every one of them for working so hard to keep us safe on the beach."