A girl, 12, from High Wycombe and a boy, 17, from Southampton tragically died following an incident at Bournemouth beach on Wednesday afternoon.

The two children, who have yet to be formally identified, died in hospital after being rescued from the water near Bournemouth pier on Wednesday, May 31.

A man in his 40s who was reported to have been "on the water" at the time of the incident was arrested on Thursday, June 1 on suspicion of manslaughter but has since been released under investigation.

Here's what we know so far.

What happened?

Dorset Police responded to a request for assistance from ambulance services attending an incident at Bournemouth beach at around 4pm on Wednesday, May 31.

A 12-year-old girl from High Wycombe and a 17-year-old boy from Southampton were pulled from the sea after sustaining "critical injuries".

They were taken to hospitals in Bournemouth and Poole before sadly being pronounced dead.

Eight other people were also recovered from the water and were treated by paramedics at the scene for injuries that were not life-threatening.

READ MORE: Bournemouth beach: Man tried to rescue girl, 12, who died

What do we know about the children who died?

Dorset Police confirmed in a press conference yesterday (June 1) that the girl, 12, and the boy, 17, were not related to each other.

Tributes have since come in from friends and family of the girl, who lived in High Wycombe, with one person describing her as "an amazing person" whose "smile lit up a room".

What have police said about the incident?

Police have urged people not to speculate about the cause of the two deaths at a press conference held in Bournemouth yesterday, both to protect police inquiries and out of respect for the victims and their families.

Assistant chief constable Rachel Farrell said that none of the 10 swimmers rescued from the pier on Wednesday had been in "physical contact" with a boat or other vessel.

Bucks Free Press:

Adding: "I am able to tell you that it's clear that yesterday a number of people already in the water got into difficulty and we are investigating the circumstances or event that caused that to happen.

"I can also confirm that there is no suggestion of people jumping from the pier or of jet skis being involved."

READ MORE: Bournemouth beach: Doctor's anger as people share incident footage

What do we know about what happened?

A man in his 40s, who was said to have been "on the water" when the incident took place was arrested yesterday and has been released under investigation. 

The Times reported last night that a pleasure boat had been taped off by police at a quay in nearby Poole Harbour, with forensic teams spotted around the area. 

Online tracker MarineTraffic showed that the Dorset Belle vessel made numerous circuits of Bournemouth pier on Wednesday, suggesting it may have been in the vicinity at the time of the incident.

Bucks Free Press:

The father of an 18-year-old who was also rescued from the sea but only sustained minor injuries told Mail Online that "a rip tide" had been the cause of the incident.

What has been the reaction in Buckinghamshire?

Local officials in Buckinghamshire responded yesterday to the death of the 12-year-old girl from High Wycombe.

Anita Cranmer, cabinet member for education and services at Buckinghamshire Council, said: “We are saddened to hear the tragic news of the death of a 12-year-old girl from High Wycombe yesterday on Bournemouth beach.

“Our thoughts go out to her family and friends. We will be offering support to them at this very difficult time.”

Wycombe MP Steve Baker also sent his condolences to the family of the 12-year-old, describing the incident as “a tragedy”.

He said: “The death of every child is a tragedy, and I offer my condolences to everyone affected.

“I hope the family will soon have answers about what exactly happened in Bournemouth on Wednesday.”