A teenage girl and a woman in her 40s have died after getting into difficulty in the water off the coast of Essex.
The incident happened in West Mersea, Colchester.
Emergency services were called to the scene in West Mersea, Colchester at 5.35pm on Wednesday, amid reports of several people in trouble in the water.
Essex Police confirmed that despite the best efforts of paramedics, a teenage girl and a woman in her 40s have died.
A third person remains in hospital in a serious condition and two other people are in hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Detective Chief Inspector Al Pitcher said: "Today, our thoughts remain with the family members who are coming to terms with their loss.
"We are grateful to the people who have already spoken to us and helped with our enquiries.
"We would ask anyone who was at the beach at the time, and who has not yet spoken with officers, to please get in touch, to help us understand what happened."
It is believed those involved in the incident knew each other.
Images from the scene show police officers on the beach and fields near the sea and ambulances parked nearby.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Essex Police urged the public to stay away from the area.
The statement said: "While we remain on scene, we would ask the public to avoid the Seaview Avenue and beach area.
"We appreciate that this will cause some local issues, but would ask for your patience and understanding as we may be there for some time yet."
The coastguard rescue team described the events as a "tragic incident".
Officers are appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time to come forward and have also asked for any footage that could assist their investigation.
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