A READING man has spoken of how he desperately tried to save a 12-year-old girl who died in a tragic incident at Bournemouth beach.

The girl, from Buckinghamshire, died alongside a 17-year-old boy from Southampton, after the incident happened on May 31.

Eight other children were also injured in the incident after getting into trouble in the water, as the beach was packed out during half term.

Mackenzie Creech, 18, was with friends at the beach in Dorset when they heard shouting and screaming from the pier.

Speaking to the MailOnline, he said: "We were on the other side of the pier but you could hear all this noise so we went over to see what was going on and people were pointing into the water.

"I could see a body in the water, and just rushed in and scooped her up with someone else. She was face down when I got there and not moving."

Mackenzie, from Tilehurst, Reading, described how he carried her to the beach and paramedics arrived and started doing CPR on the girl.

Adding: "I was gutted when I heard [she had passed away] and its upset me, it’s so sad something like this happened. I did what anyone else would have done."

Tributes have since been left near the pier following the incident.

A police investigation has been launched and a man in his 40s has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

The force confirmed in a statement that the deaths have not been linked to people jumping from the pier, and no vessels or jet skis were involved.