Hero nurse at Formby beach desperate fight to save teen in sea tragedy

Two off-duty nurses fought for 25 minutes to save 15-year-old girl after a terrifying beach tragedy. Chiedza Nyanjowa from Cheshire died on Saturday at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, after she got into difficulty in water in Formby, Merseyside on bank holiday Monday. Her family described her as a "bubbly person" with a "kind spirit" who will be "greatly missed". Two off-duty nurses, who had been in the sea on the day Chiedza got into difficulty, had raced to try and save her life, reports the Liverpool Echo . In a social media post, Tara Oswick, who is the Wirral General Practice lead nurse and works for Moreton and Meols Primary Care Network, wrote: "Goodnight princess, we have been dreading this news. We tried our best to save you. All our love to the family at this time, Rest in peace little one." When asked about the events of that day, Ms Oswick said: "On Monday, May 25, my friend Emma and I were visiting Formby Beach with our families. We had been swimming in the sea with our children for approximately 10 minutes when Emma spotted a child lying on the beach while a man attempted to resuscitate her. "Recognising the seriousness of the situation, we immediately acted. "After ensuring our children were safely removed from the water, we ran to assist. On arrival, we found the child unconscious and unresponsive. "Following a rapid assessment, we believed the child had an obstructed airway and no pulse, so immediately commenced CPR. "Despite the challenging circumstances, including the absence of any resuscitation equipment and delays in contacting emergency services due to poor mobile phone signal, we remained focused on providing lifesaving care. "We worked together continuously, taking turns performing CPR and maintaining the child's airway." Ms Oswick said the situation was made even more difficult by the incoming tide, which meant the women had to repeatedly move Chiedza while continuing their resuscitation efforts. They also had to make sure there was space as many distressed bystanders gathered around. The off-duty nurses provided continuous CPR for 25 minutes before a lifeguard and National Trust ranger arrived. They directed the ranger to find a defibrillator which was immediately used. READ MORE: Body found in search for missing man READ MORE: Homes evacuated on three streets after 'large scale incident' in Treharris Ms Oswick said: "Shortly afterwards, the air ambulance landed and the emergency medical team took over the resuscitation effort. Even then, we continued to assist by helping move the child and equipment as the tide advanced, supporting the emergency services, and maintaining a clear working area by managing the crowd. "Throughout this incident, we demonstrated calmness, courage, initiative, and determination in an extremely stressful and emotionally challenging situation. "We acted immediately without hesitation, sustained lifesaving interventions for an extended period under difficult conditions, and continued to support the emergency response until professional medical teams were fully established on scene. "Our actions ensured that the child received immediate and continuous resuscitation from the earliest possible moment, giving her the best possible chance of survival until advanced medical care arrived." In an additional comment, Ms Oswick said she and her friend were "heartbroken" to hear that Chiedza had died. In their own comments, the family of the 15-year-old girl said they "would like to express their gratitude to everyone that helped" her and they were "glad that there were people around her to support her, their support shows that she was loved".