Misadventure verdict on beach children

A coroner yesterday recorded a verdict of misadventure on Jodi and Tom Loughlin whose bodies were found two weeks after they disappeared from a beach near Hunstanton, Norfolk.

Norwich district coroner, William Armstrong, heard that Jodi, six, and Tom, four, were swept out to sea from Holme beach on the second day of their summer holiday.

The children's bodies were washed up on separate beaches two weeks after their disappearance sparked a three-day land, sea and air search in August. They were buried after a joint funeral service in Upper Norwood, south London, a week ago.

Jodi and Tom's parents, Kevin Loughlin and Lynette Thornton, both 38 and from Upper Norwood, said they took their eyes off the children for five minutes.

Speaking after the inquest, Mr Loughlin said he hoped the deaths would raise awareness of the dangers of Britain's coastline.

"I hope people will realise the dangers that exist along the shoreline and hopefully some action will take place to raise people's awareness, particularly in places like Holme where there are hidden shelves which people who aren't local aren't necessarily aware of."

Mr Loughlin told the inquest in Norwich that the family had arrived at Holme at about 5pm on 18 August. He and Lynette chose a spot on the busy beach and sat down with Jodi and Tom, who rushed off to the water, about 400 yards away.

After a few minutes Jodi rushed off excitedly to join her brother, Mr Loughlin said. The parents put on some sun cream then Ms Thornton went to look for the children.

The couple believed they had taken their eyes off the children for no more than five minutes. But when Ms Thornton reached the sea there was no sign of Jodi and Tom.

Mr Loughlin said he and Ms Thornton scoured the beach for two hours searching for the children before calling police.

Asked by the coroner why they did not summon help sooner, he said: "We both felt they had got lost somewhere on the beach. It's a very large beach."

The coroner heard evidence that the tide swept in with unusual swiftness on that day. The Coastguard sector officer, David Thiel, said the day had marked the top of the spring tide.

"The low water was lower than average and the high water higher than average, so the tide would come in quicker that day than normal."

He said the beach was undulating with sandbars running parallel to it. The two children could easily have got out of their depth and swept into one of these channels.