Detectives appeal for witnesses following incident on Formby Beach

We are appealing for witnesses to come forward following an incident at Formby beach on Bank Holiday Monday, 25 May.

At around 3.30pm, emergency services were called to the beach on Albert Road to reports of a concern for the safety of a 15-year-old girl. Eyewitness reports suggest the girl got into difficulties in the water.

She was taken to Alder Hey Children's Hospital where she remains in a critical condition.

Officers continue to support the family and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of what happened.

Detective Chief Inspector Alan Nuttall said: “We know that Formby beach was exceptionally busy on Bank Holiday Monday but I would appeal for anyone who witnessed this incident or has any information which could assist our enquiries to get in touch as a matter of urgency.

“Our officers and I would also like to offer our gratitude to the members of the public who came to the assistance of the 15-year-old girl and her family during such tragic circumstances on the beach.”

“At this stage we believe the girl got into difficulties in the water and members of the public came to her aid.

“Emergency services were alerted and the girl was taken to hospital where she remains in hospital in a critical condition.

Anyone with information should contact Merseyside Police social media desk via X or Facebook @MerPolCC. You can also report information via our website: https://www.merseyside.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/ or by calling 101 quoting incident reference 26000414460.

This week, we will continue to work with our partner agencies such as Sefton Council, National Trust, HM Coastguard and RNLI to ensure people can enjoy the coastline and beaches safely.

Our officers and other emergency services need space on the roads to get their vehicles to incidents, so please remember to park responsibly and avoid blocking roads and driveways.

It is also really important to check the tides and lifeguard advice before entering the water. Remember RNLI’s ‘Float to Live’ if you find yourself getting into difficulty in the water.

If you need to report anything to us, please message @MerPolCC or call 101. In an emergency always call 999.