A mother and her daughter were rescued from waist-deep sinking sand at the Three Shells Lagoon in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, on 10 March 2026. The pair became trapped in the sinking sand at the man-made site, leading to an emergency rescue and the eventual closure of the recreation area.
Staff from the nearby Adventure Island theme park used ropes to pull the mother and child to safety. Management at the park said it was incredibly concerning that there were no fences or warning signs to tell visitors the area was dangerous before the incident took place.
Southend-on-Sea City Council has now closed the lagoon for an indefinite period while engineers look at ways to fix the site. The local authority has put up fencing around the water and stated that any long-term repairs will need to go through planning permission and environmental approvals.
Local residents have raised urgent safety concerns about the lagoon, with some visitors describing the area as a death trap. Community members are now calling for better maintenance and have started contacting local officials, such as Cllr Lydia Hyde, Cabinet Member for Climate, Environment and Waste, and Cllr Matt Dent, Cabinet Member for Culture, Tourism & Business, to ensure the site is made safe for families.
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