London, Thanasis Gavos

Two children died and eight others required lifeguards and medical attention on a beach in Bournemouth, southern England, on Wednesday afternoon.

According to eyewitnesses, a 12-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy were seen being swept away by the currents of the sea after they had dived into the water from the edge of the historic beach pier which stretches 300 meters into the English Channel.

The police proceeded to arrest a 40-year-old man as a homicide suspect, without giving any other details other than that he was also in the sea.

An eyewitness said that the arrested person probably encouraged the children to jump from the pier shortly before the tragedy.

The beach was cordoned off so that two ambulance helicopters could land to provide first aid and transport the children to hospitals.

None of the other eight children were seriously injured.

Since 2004 the UK Coastguard has responded to more than 200 incidents of risky diving from heights, resulting in 70 injuries and 20 deaths.