A heartbreaking photo has been released showing a trainee chef who died in last week’s Bournemouth beach tragedy mastering his craft.
Joe Abbess had been swimming in the water close to a pier on the seafront when he got into difficulty along with nine other people on Wednesday, May 31, after a riptide formed close to the beach.
The 17-year-old and fellow swimmer Sunnah Khan, 12, sadly died despite the best efforts of lifeguards and medics who tried valiantly to resuscitate them on the sand.
Despite the best efforts of lifeguards and medics, who scrambled to rescue those in trouble, the 17-year-old sadly died, along with 12-year-old Sunnah Khan who was also caught in the chaos.
An inquest into their deaths opened this morning, with the hearing being told that both children had drowned in the water after a ‘sudden riptide’ in the area.
On Monday evening, teachers at City College Southampton, where Joe had been studying to achieve his dream of owning his own restaurant, paid tribute to him as an ‘exceptional student’.
Martin Sim, Principal of the college, said: ‘Everybody at City College is deeply saddened to hear of the tragic incident that took place at Bournemouth beach on Wednesday, May 31.
‘We send our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the two young people who lost their lives, which we now know included one of our Hospitality students, Joe Abbess.
‘We have informed his class of this devastating news and are providing professional support to our students and staff through this difficult time.’
His hospitality teachers added: ‘Joe was an exceptional student who made a huge impact on both the hospitality team and his classmates and he will be deeply missed.
‘We loved teaching Joe, he was a gem, with a great sense of humour and an undeniable passion for hospitality.
‘He helped everyone and always stepped up as the first to volunteer, he was an exemplary student.
‘Joe was always eager to expand his knowledge and took the time to talk to us about our experiences and to learn everything he could.
‘He was looking forward to working towards his dream of owning his own restaurant. Joe’s legacy will live on in the hearts of those who knew him.’
