Tara Oswick and her friend were swimming in the sea when they raced to try and save young Chiedza Nyanjowa, who tragically later died
21:43, 31 May 2026Updated 21:52, 31 May 2026
Tara Oswick was one of two off-duty nurses who battled to save the life of 15-year-old Chiedza Nyanjowa who sadly died after getting into difficulty in the sea at Formby
One of the two off-duty nurses who fought to save the life of a 15-year-old girl who got into difficulty in water in Formby has spoken about the heartbreaking incident – and posted an emotional tribute following the young girl’s tragic death.
Chiedza Nyanjowa, from Cheshire, was taken to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in a critical condition after the incident at Formby beach on bank holiday Monday and died on Saturday. Her family described her as a “bubbly person” with a “kind spirit” who will be “greatly missed”.
The ECHO previously reported that two off-duty nurses, who had been in the sea on the day Chiedza got into difficulty, had raced to try and save her life.
The ECHO has spoken to one of the two nurses, Tara Oswick, about the events of that day. We contacted her after seeing her moving response on social media following the terrible news that Chiedza had died.
In that post, Ms Oswick, who is the Wirral General Practice lead nurse and works for Moreton & Meols Primary Care Network, wrote: “Goodnight princess, we have been dreading this news. We tried our best to save you. All our love to the family at this time, Rest in peace little one.”
When asked about the events of that day, Ms Oswick told the ECHO: “On Monday, May 25, my friend Emma and I were visiting Formby Beach with our families. We had been swimming in the sea with our children for approximately 10 minutes when Emma spotted a child lying on the beach while a man attempted to resuscitate her. Recognising the seriousness of the situation, we immediately acted.
“After ensuring our children were safely removed from the water, we ran to assist. On arrival, we found the child unconscious and unresponsive. Following a rapid assessment, we believed the child had an obstructed airway and no pulse, so immediately commenced CPR.
“Despite the challenging circumstances, including the absence of any resuscitation equipment and delays in contacting emergency services due to poor mobile phone signal, we remained focused on providing lifesaving care. We worked together continuously, taking turns performing CPR and maintaining the child’s airway.”
Chiedza Nyanjowa, 15, died after getting into difficulty in the water Formby beach(Image: Merseyside Police)
Ms Oswick said the situation was made even more difficult by the incoming tide, which meant the women had to repeatedly move Chiedza while continuing their resuscitation efforts. They also had to make sure there was space as many distressed bystanders gathered around.
The off-duty nurses provided continuous CPR for 25 minutes before a lifeguard and National Trust ranger arrived. They directed the ranger to find a defibrillator which was immediately used.
Ms Oswick said: “Shortly afterwards, the air ambulance landed and the emergency medical team took over the resuscitation effort. Even then, we continued to assist by helping move the child and equipment as the tide advanced, supporting the emergency services, and maintaining a clear working area by managing the crowd.
“Throughout this incident, we demonstrated calmness, courage, initiative, and determination in an extremely stressful and emotionally challenging situation. We acted immediately without hesitation, sustained lifesaving interventions for an extended period under difficult conditions, and continued to support the emergency response until professional medical teams were fully established on scene.
“Our actions ensured that the child received immediate and continuous resuscitation from the earliest possible moment, giving her the best possible chance of survival until advanced medical care arrived.”
In an additional comment, Ms Oswick said she and her friend were “heartbroken” to hear that Chiedza had died.
In their own comments, the family of the 15-year-old girl said they “would like to express their gratitude to everyone that helped” her and they were “glad that there were people around her to support her, their support shows that she was loved”.