Tragedy struck in the small East Yorkshire seaside town of Withernsea on Friday when a brave man, Mark Ratcliffe, lost his life attempting to rescue two people from the sea. The 67-year-old was pulled from the water unconscious and died at the scene.
It has now been confirmed by Humberside police that Mark had been trying to save a mother and her teenage daughter, Sarah Keeling, 45, and Grace Keeling, 15, who were in distress in the treacherous sea. The mother and daughter are still missing, with authorities continuing their search efforts.
The family of Mark Ratcliffe have paid tribute to him as a "true selfless hero with a heart of gold". In a statement, they expressed their grief and said that his passing has left many lives shattered. They described him as a loving husband, father, son, brother, and the best grandad anyone could ever wish for.
The incident occurred at Central Promenade in Withernsea on Friday at 3.15pm when emergency services were called after reports of people in difficulty in the water. Witnesses reported seeing people rushing to rescue a young woman who had fallen into the sea. Police are still present in the area, searching for the missing mother and daughter.
It has now been confirmed by Humberside police that Mark had been trying to save a mother and her teenage daughter, Sarah Keeling, 45, and Grace Keeling, 15, who were in distress in the treacherous sea. The mother and daughter are still missing, with authorities continuing their search efforts.
The family of Mark Ratcliffe have paid tribute to him as a "true selfless hero with a heart of gold". In a statement, they expressed their grief and said that his passing has left many lives shattered. They described him as a loving husband, father, son, brother, and the best grandad anyone could ever wish for.
The incident occurred at Central Promenade in Withernsea on Friday at 3.15pm when emergency services were called after reports of people in difficulty in the water. Witnesses reported seeing people rushing to rescue a young woman who had fallen into the sea. Police are still present in the area, searching for the missing mother and daughter.
oh man this is just so sad... I mean, I'm glad Mark was trying to save those two ladies, he's literally a hero 
but at the same time it's so frustrating that they're still out there in the water 
... I don't know if we'll ever find them or not, and it's breaking my heart thinking about their family and how scared they must be right now 
... Mark was an amazing person from what I've read, his whole family is saying such lovely things about him, he sounds like an incredible bloke 
... anyway, let's all just take a deep breath and focus on getting those two ladies back home safely 
, please keep sending positive vibes out to the Keeling family 
It's horrific. And on top of that, the person who tried to save them has passed away... it's just not fair. The family is getting a lot of sympathy online, but we should also be thinking about Mark Ratcliffe - he was trying to do what many of us would do in that situation, and it ended up costing him his life. It's crazy how some forum comments will be saying "good on him for trying" without stopping to think about the emotional toll this must have had on his family... 
We should be taking a moment to reflect on what really happened here, not just jump to conclusions or try to spin it as a heroic story. 
what a hero he was saving those 2 people from the sea, that's just incredible 
This is just awful! Can't believe what happened at Withernsea. I mean, Mark's passing is one thing, but losing his family members too? That's like a double punch to the gut 
. It's heartbreaking that he gave his life trying to save others, and now we gotta wait for who knows how long for Sarah & Grace to turn up 
. I'm sending all my vibes to Mark's family, they must be feeling like they've lost their entire world 
!
this is just devastating news... thinkin about that 67 year old fella givin his life tryna save some innocent lives... what a hero, mate! 
. We should all take a moment to appreciate people like Mark Ratcliffe, who remind us of what it means to live life with kindness and courage 
.
i mean, i'm sure he was a good person and all, but is it really necessary for us to celebrate his selflessness by making him a hero? 
. The sea rescue scene in Withernsea looks intense too... 3.15pm is when emergency services got called, which means it was peak tourist season (who knows if they were locals or tourists?) 
. Mark Ratcliffe's family has described him as a "selfless hero" - that's amazing, but also really sad considering the tragic circumstances of his death 
And what about the family of Mark? They're still searching for their missing relatives... it's just devastating. It raises questions about our social safety net and whether it's doing enough to support these kinds of selfless acts. I mean, should there be some kind of recognition or reward system for people like Mark who are willing to risk everything for others? 
anyway, my heart goes out to his family and loved ones, especially sarah and grace 
... the police are still searching for them and i just hope they find them safe and sound 
. The search efforts are still on, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the mom & daughter are found safe 
. It's heartbreaking to think about the little girl, Sarah, who's still out there missing her mom and grandma 
. The authorities are doing their best to find them, but it's just not the same as having them back with us 
. We can all learn from Mark's bravery, but we should also be thinking of his family and loved ones, they need our support right now 
Police are still searching for them and I hope they find them soon