'My daughter dreamed of being a lawyer before she was killed in beach tragedy'

10 June 2023 , 18:46

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Sunnah Khan had a lot of friends at school, her mum said

Beaming warmly for the camera, schoolgirl Sunnah Khan had a life full of promise ahead of her and dreamed of being a lawyer.

But today, her devastated mum shares cherished images of the “cheeky, doting” 12-year-old as she tells of her grief after losing her in the Bournemouth beach tragedy 11 days ago.

In an exclusive interview Stephanie Williams, 32, said: “There isn’t a word in the English dictionary that describes the pain – I don’t know how we will ever move on from this.

“The idea of her being in the water, feeling scared and knowing she’s going to drown… it’s gut-wrenching.”

Mum Stephanie wants more awareness on water safety (Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)

Sannah shares a cuddle with Stephanie

Sunnah was with her dad, aunt and two siblings at Bournemouth beach when she got into difficulty in the water along with nine other swimmers.

Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him

It is still not known what happened – but by the time it was over, Sunnah and Joe Abbess, 17, from Southampton, were dead. An inquest that opened on Monday heard they may have been caught in a riptide.

The girl with face paint

Joe Abbess also died in the tragedy (PA)

Stephanie, an emergency nurse, was leaving work when she learned of the horror.

She said: “My world came crashing down. I’ve been stuck in that moment ever since.”

The mum-of-four drove from High Wycombe, Bucks, to Poole Hospital, where Sunnah was taken, to say goodbye.

The girl smiles as she poses for a photo

Asked to describe her, Stephanie said: “Sunnah was a force to be reckoned with. She had so many friends at school.

“She was brilliant at maths and wanted to be a lawyer – which she’d be very good at because she was good at arguing!”

An air ambulance on the beach in Bournemouth on May 31 (Max Willcock/BNPS)

Stephanie has made it her mission to spare other families her agony, saying: “I’d like to share Sunnah’s story in schools and push for water safety to be a mandatory part of the curriculum.”

Hundreds of mourners lined the street for Sunnah’s funeral last Saturday. And Stephanie added: “I just hope she knew how many people loved her.”

Saskia Rowlands