Grieving relatives mourn the deaths of two brothers, 16 and 18, at their funeral after they drowned in the sea off Lancashire during trip to the coast
- Muhammad Azhar Shabbir, 18, and Ali Athar Shabbir, 16, were swept out to sea
- The boys became stranded on Saturday when the tide came in from behind
- Heartbroken family members escorted the teenagers’ coffins to a cemetery
Relatives of two brothers who died after being swept out to sea mourned their tragic loss today.
Muhammad Azhar Shabbir, 18, and Ali Athar Shabbir, 16, are believed to have been trapped by the tide after walking a mile down the beach at Lytham St Anne’s on the coast of Lancashire.
The boys became stranded on Saturday when the tide came in from behind, sweeping them away. Their bodies were found the next afternoon.
Heartbroken family members escorted the teenagers’ coffins to a cemetery in Dewsbury Moor, West Yorkshire, as their ‘absolutely devastated’ relatives paid tribute.
Muhammad Azhar Shabbir (left), 18, and Ali Athar Shabbir (right), 16, are believed to have been trapped by the tide after walking a mile down the beach at Lytham St Anne’s on the coast of Lancashire
Councillor Mumtaz Hussain, the Mayor of Dewsbury, told The Mirror: ‘It’s a terrible tragedy that’s happened.
‘It’s very very sad. I’ve spoken to the family members in the street. They are heartbroken and I have no words.
‘These two lads were down to earth and everyone said really good things about them.’
Mr Hussain added that the brothers had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The boys became stranded on Saturday when the tide came in from behind, sweeping them away. Their bodies were found the next afternoon
Muhammad Azhar Shabbir, 18, and Ali Athar Shabbir, 16 went missing near St Annes Pier on Saturday evening
The family said it had been an ‘extremely difficult time’.
A 15-year-old boy, a cousin of the two boys, had been treated in hospital after he managed to swim to the shore during the incident.
An uncle of the brothers, who lived in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, had told Sky News: ‘They were the most kind and respectful boys. Incredibly well-mannered and humble, too.
‘The family is shocked and devastated.’