Girl, 15, swept out to sea while posing before mother and passerby both died trying to save her, inquest hears
All three lost their lives in the tragedy in Withernsea on January 2.
A 15-year-old girl was swept out to sea by a giant wave while posing for photos before her mother and a passerby also died trying to save her, an inquest has heard.
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TikToker Grace Keeling was pulled into freezing water in January while having a dip at Withernsea in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
The terrible conditions prompted her mother, Sarah, 45, and passerby Mark Ratcliffe, 67, to enter the water to save her.
Ratcliffe's action led coroner Lorraine Harris to say that the grandfather was a "hero" for the "utterly selfless act of bravery".
All three tragically died on January 2.
The inquest at Hull Coroner's Court heard that schoolgirl Grace was visiting Withernsea with her best friend, mother and family dog Lulu for a walk on the beach.
Grace's friend, who cannot be named, said the group had travelled to the east cost from Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.
She recounted in a statement summarised by police that the youngsters were taking it in turns to stand at the bottom of the stairs leading down to the sea and be photographed and videoed by the other, with the spray from the breaking waves behind them.
"We were laughing and taking videos of each other," she said.
"We said we would do it one last time. We were getting wet from the spray," said the girl.
"I walked about four steps up, I turned around, and in like a split second, Grace was gone. It happened as quick as a blink.
"I initially thought she was hiding somewhere."
She said she then spotted her friend in the water, screaming for help.
"I thought it was a joke," she said.
"The condition of the sea changed so quickly, the wave came out of nowhere."
She later told police: "I still cannot believe this has happened, and that I won't see Grace and Sarah again."
Despite the best attempts of emergency services, Grace's body was not found for 13 days.