Waxham death: Mother dies trying to rescue son and his friend from sea off Norfolk coast
A mother has died trying to rescue her son and another child after the two boys were found struggling with an inflatable canoe off the Norfolk coast.
Danielle Chilvers, who was 37 years old, went into the water to help her 14-year-old son and his friend after they got into difficulty at the beach at Waxham.
Norfolk Police said Ms Chilvers was recovered from the sea on Sunday and later pronounced dead in hospital.
The two boys were able to get to safety and the mother's death is being treated as unexplained but not suspicious.
Her former partner Kevin Kazer, who is the father of her two sons, described her as “a wonderful person” who enjoyed gardening and had an allotment.
Referring to their two sons, Mr Kazer said: “They're really upset but they're in good spirits as we've got a lot of stuff to do.
“It's a bit of a mountain to climb. She will be missed a lot, that's for sure.”
He added that Ms Chilvers worked at Nicholas Hamond Academy, a secondary school and sixth form in Swaffham, in a safeguarding role for a number of years.
Tony Garbutt, from HM Coastguard, told ITV Anglia that the incident was a “classic case” of a rescuer ending up in danger while trying to help.
“This started off with a child playing on an inflatable canoe who got into difficulties,” Mr Garbutt said.
“Another person went out to assist, followed then by the mother and unfortunately it was the mother that came into danger, and it happens time and time again.”
He added: “It's difficult to try and criticise because as a parent myself you can't stand by and watch your children be in danger and not do anything.”
Sea Palling Lifeboat and Coastguard teams from Bacton and Winterton said they responded to reports of “multiple people in the sea off Waxham” at about 5pm on Sunday.
Mark Skerrett, of Sea Palling Independent Lifeboat, said it was difficult to get close to Ms Chilvers due to the "waves that were rolling", but a member of crew got into the water and swam into shore with her where CPR was attempted.
Superintendent Jason Broome, from Norfolk Police, said on Sunday that enquiries were ongoing to establish the exact circumstances which led to her death but the incident was not being treated as suspicious.
He added that it was a “tragic situation” and offered his condolences to the mother's family.
The incident came as a missing 12-year-old girl was found dead in a river in West Dunbartonshire in Scotland on Sunday evening.
The girl, who has been identified as Ava Gray, was pronounced dead at the scene near Balloch Bridge and her family has been informed.
Officers who responded to the incident at the River Leven on Sunday evening said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.
Additional reporting by PA
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