Sarah Keeling, 45, and her daughter Grace Keeling,15, got stuck in the sea on Friday, Humberside Police said

A man who died attempting to rescue two people from the sea in East Yorkshire was trying to save a mother and her teenage daughter, police confirmed on Sunday.

Humberside Police confirmed Mark Ratcliffe, 67, entered the water in Withernsea to try and rescue 45-year-old Sarah Keeling and her 15-year-old daughter Grace Keeling after they got stuck in the sea.

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Mr Ratcliffe’s family described him as a “true selfless hero with a heart of gold,” who was “loved by so many people”.

Emergency services, including coastguard helicopters and RNLI lifeboats, raced to the seafront following reports that three people had gotten into trouble at 3.10pm.

The alarm was raised as freezing temperatures gripped the seaside town and treacherous three-metre waves pounded the coast.

The bodies of Ms Keeling and Mr Ratcliffe, 67, were recovered after the incident, but searches are still ongoing to locate Grace, the force added.

MARK RATCLIFFE, 67

They said in a statement on Sunday: “Following reports of concerns for safety for people in the water in Withernsea, with the permission of the family, Humberside Police can now confirm that a mother and daughter, 45-year-old Sarah Keeling and 15-year-old Grace Keeling, were involved in this tragic incident, alongside 67-year-old Mark Ratcliffe, a member of the public who died trying to assist with the rescue.”

The family of Sarah and Grace Keeling are being supported by specially trained officers.

“Residents will continue to see an increased police presence in and around the area as officers continue to search for the one remaining missing person,” the force added on Sunday.

Witnesses of the incident previously told The Telegraph they saw a teenage girl “washed away” by the waves.

Karen Higgs, 66, told the paper: “I was by the cafe and this woman was running up the front towards the pier towers, shouting ‘she’s in the water, she’s in the water’.”

“I looked and I went across and there was somebody in the water… going in and out with the waves.

“Someone threw a safety ring in for her to catch. She was going out as the ring went in… and she never tried to catch it. We were all shouting at her to catch it, catch it. She just didn’t.”