Tributes paid to hero passerby who drowned alongside dad trying to save his two children in seaside tragedy

By GLEN KEOGH, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Published: 15:35, 15 July 2026 | Updated: 15:37, 15 July 2026 Tributes have been paid to two fathers who died trying to save two young children who were in difficulty in the sea. Ian Pascoe has been named as the heroic passerby who entered the sea at Seaton Carew beach near Hartlepool, County Durham when he saw two children struggling in the waves. Tragically, Mr Pascoe, a 62-year-old grandfather who was walking along the beach with his wife and granddaughter, died during the rescue attempt. Wayne Taylor, the father of the nine-year-old boy and his younger sister who were in difficulty in the water, also died. Now Mr Pascoe’s son, Dan, has paid tribute, saying his father ‘did not hesitate’ to act when he saw the children in difficulty. ‘He was the kind of person who has always done the right thing,’ he said. ‘He stood up for what he thought was right and took action when other people might have stood by and watched. ‘He always lived his life like that, and I am so proud of him and so proud to call him my dad.’ Speaking to The Mirror, Dan added: ‘He passed his phone to my mum and said, “Here, hold this for me, I will be back in a bit.” Ian Pascoe was walking along the beachfront with his wife and granddaughter when he entered the water to save two children Wayne Taylor died when getting into difficulty in the water trying to save his son and daughter ‘He went in to try and save them. I know he’d do it 10 times over if he thought he was going to save a child’s life.’ Mr Taylor and his family were on a family day out at the seaside from their home in nearby Shildon, County Durham, when a stiff breeze caused large waves in the sea as his children played. Mr Taylor rushed into the water to save his children who were taken to hospital as a precaution but unharmed. Four men are said to have entered the water before the RNLI rescue operation commenced. A GoFundMe page set up by a friend of Mr Taylor’s family has raised almost £9,000. The page says: ‘We would like to thank everyone who attended to the family at the beach and helped save their children—they are forever grateful.  'Sadly, two men lost their lives, and no one could describe the pain the families are feeling or enduring during this difficult time.’ Davey Short was one of the men who helped save the children. He said: ‘The two younger kids were in the sea and they'd started to struggle in the waves. 'I had taken a stroll along the beach from my mother's home nearby and was planning to have a dip but the sea looked a bit choppy and rough so I sat down on a sand dune looking out to sea. 'I realised that there was a child in some trouble. They were getting buffeted by the waves and as I looked I saw a second figure next to the boy and he was face down in the water. Davey Short, pictured at Seaton Carew beach, saved a young boy's life when he saw two children struggling in the water 'At first I thought he was snorkelling but I realised something had gone wrong. I discovered afterwards that the father of the children had gone in to rescue them and had been swept off and he didn't get back out. 'A second man had also gone in and he drowned as well. He was a guy who had been out walking his dog with his partner and he ran in to help. She saw the whole thing, it's devastating to think about that. 'I was the third person to go into the water. The children's mother was on the beach, she was hysterical and asking if I could help because she couldn't swim. 'Her eldest son had gone into the water as well to try to rescue his brother and sister but they were still out there. 'I managed to swim out and get hold of the boy. I told him, "swim to me, swim to me", and I managed to grab hold of his hand and pull him towards the shore. 'The waves were strong and they were pushing us around and I lost my grip but with the help of another guy I got hold of him a second time and managed to get him to the shore.' To donate to the GoFundMe page in Mr Taylor's memory, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/wayne-taylor