Girl, 15, was swept out to sea by 12ft wave as she posed for photos before mother and 'hero' Good Samaritan died trying to save her, inquest hears

By GLEN KEOGH, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT and MARK LISTER Published: 17:08, 28 May 2026 | Updated: 17:11, 28 May 2026 A 15-year-old girl was swept out to sea ‘in the blink of an eye’ by a giant wave as she posed for photos before her mother and a passer-by died trying to save her, an inquest heard today. Keen TikToker Grace Keeling was pulled into the freezing water in terrible January conditions prompting her mother Sarah, 45, to follow her in a desperate bid to save her life. Passer-by Mark Ratcliffe, 67, also entered the water at Withernsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, in ‘an utterly selfless act of bravery’ with coroner Lorraine Harris saying the grandfather was ‘a hero.’ However all three tragically died on January 2. An inquest at Hull Coroner’s Court on Thursday heard that schoolgirl Grace had been visiting Withernsea with her best friend, mother and family dog Lulu to go for a walk on the beach. Hull Coroner’s Court heard that the tide was in and the North Sea was very rough, with rocks being thrown onto the promenade by the strength of the 12ft waves. In a statement summarised by police at the inquest, Grace’s friend, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said they had travelled to Withernsea on a day trip from Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, to walk the dog. She said the weather was ‘freezing’ and because the tide was in they went to a penny arcade before returning to a castle-like landmark on the seafront called Pier Towers at around 3pm. Grace Keeling, 15, and her mother, Sarah, 45, died when the teenager was swept out to sea in January and Mrs Keeling desperately tried to save her Grandfather Mark Ratcliffe, 67, also attempted to save Grace but tragically died in the incident at Withernsea The girl said she and Grace were taking it in turns to stand at the bottom of the stairs leading down to the sea and be photographed and videoed by the other, with the spray from the breaking waves behind them. ‘We were laughing and taking videos of each other,’ she said. They videoed one another several times and were getting wet from the spray, the inquest heard. ‘We said we would do it one last time. We were getting wet from the spray,’ said the girl. ‘I walked about four steps up, I turned around, and in like a split second, Grace was gone. It happened as quick as a blink. ‘I initially thought she was hiding somewhere.’ She said she then spotted her friend in the water, screaming for help. ‘I thought it was a joke,’ she said. ‘The condition of the sea changed so quickly, the wave came out of nowhere.’ The friend added that Grace’s mum, Sarah, was ‘freaking out’ and screaming for people to help. Mrs Keeling ran into the water to try and rescue Grace, who was just a few metres from the sea wall, but then she was swept further out to sea and people threw life belts. The girl said Grace managed to grab a ring, but a wave knocked it out of her grasp. ‘One minute she was near the sea wall, and the next she was gone,’ she said. ‘I didn’t know what to do. I was screaming: “My friend’s in there.”’ The girl was taken away from the immediate scene so she couldn’t see the rescue operation. She later told police: ‘I still cannot believe this has happened, and that I won’t see Grace and Sarah again.’ A huge rescue operation was launched after Grace, her mother and Mr Ratcliffe entered the water. Despite the best attempts of emergency services, Grace's body was not found for 13 days The inquest heard that Mrs Keeling and Mr Ratcliffe were almost instantly rendered ‘lifeless’ after entering the water by powerful waves slamming their bodies against the rocky sea defences. Both were pulled from the sea later that day, but Grace’s body was not found for 13 days, on 15 January, despite extensive searches. She had become lodged between huge boulders further along the beach and it took a further two days to recover her. The boulders had to be lifted by heavy machinery. Professional fisherman Barry Appleby was in his car observing the sea conditions when he spotted Grace and her friend on the steps of Pier Tower. He described the sea conditions as ‘extremely violent’ with 12ft-high waves. He told the inquest that on a scale of 1-10, he placed the sea conditions as an eight. ‘I saw two girls playing on the steps and they were taking photographs of each other,’ Mr Appleby said. He said that he saw Grace with the sea behind her and her arms outstretched. ‘I thought the girl was in a very dangerous place, and I beeped my horn to warn them,’ he added. He then saw a huge wave crash over Grace, sweeping her off the steps, followed by Mrs Keeling entering the water. ‘She ran straight into the water,’ he said. ‘I shouted to her “don’t go in”, but she either didn’t hear me or chose not to listen.’ PC Faye Baskill broke down in tears in the coroner’s court as she recounted the rescue attempts, which involved more than 100 police officers, fire and rescue, the RNLI and coastguard. PC Baskill said several members of the public had attempted to rescue the trio in the water, from a nearby commercial slipway. At one point a total of six people were in the sea. One man broke his ribs as he was smashed onto the rocks as he tried to reach Grace. Jonathan Keeling, Grace’s dad and Mrs Keeling’s husband, told the inquest his wife was an international salesperson who was a keen open water swimmer and marathon runner. He said Grace loved dancing and making TikTok videos. ‘I’m going to miss my wife and daughter terribly and my life is never going to be the same again,’ he said. Coroner Ms Harris recorded Grace’s death as misadventure. She said: ‘Grace and her friend were doing what all teenage girls do, having fun and taking photos.’ ‘Without appreciating the danger of going so close to the water’s edge, Grace stood with her back to the sea. ‘What happened next was so quick that she would not have any chance to help herself. She was engulfed by a wave and taken out to sea.’ Ms Harris concluded Mrs Keeling ‘died in the pursuit of trying to save her daughter’. ‘Mrs Keeling was doing what she appeared to love the most, spending time with her daughter, together with Grace’s good friend and the family dog,’ she said. ‘When she heard her daughter had been swept into the sea, Mrs Keeling entered the water, with no thought for her own wellbeing - the act of a parent trying to do anything to help her daughter. ‘Despite being a good swimmer, evidence was heard that she was very quickly swept against the sea wall, where she suffered injuries and drowned.’ Ms Harris also commended the ‘bravery, skill and tireless dedication’ of all the emergency services and others who tried to save the three. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. 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