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CARAVAN HORROR
Pub worker ‘desperately tried to save dad & daughter killed in ferocious fire but watched caravan disappear before him’
The pair were described as 'two peas in a pod'
A PUB worker desperately tried to save a dad and his 10-year-old daughter who were killed in a horror caravan fire.
Lee Baker, 48, and little Esme died in a blaze at a popular holiday park in Lincolnshire in the early hours of Saturday.
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Emergency Services rushed to Golden Beach Holiday Park, in Ingoldmells, Lincolnshire, at 3.53am.
The pair, from Worksop, Nottinghamshire, were enjoying the first weekend of the school Easter holidays when tragedy struck.
Faith Boyce described how they "didn't stand a chance to escape" as the flames "burned the static van to the ground".
She told The Sun, Lee and Esme often visited the nearby Sundancer pub during the holiday season, and were well-known to staff.
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Before emergency crews arrived, one of the bar staff, who lives at the pub and was alerted by the "bright orange light", raced over and tried to rescue them.
Faith said: "But the caravan had gone up in flames so quickly and ferociously. He tried to help them but there was nothing he could do.
"It disappeared before him, which was very traumatic to see.
"The caravan just burned to the ground before anyone could get inside and two people tragically lost their lives."
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She believes the fire was "probably an electrical fault", adding: "Three caravans have gone up in flames in the holiday parks over the past year or two, with other fatalities."
Paying tribute, Faith went on to say: "We are heartbroken by what happened.
A girl, 10, and man, 48, have been killed in a horror caravan fire at a popular holiday park
"Everyone around here knew Lee and little Esme. They were always coming down to the caravan during the season and came into the pub all the time.
"We treated them like family."
The pub has seen an outpouring of grief as many friends, holidaymakers and strangers came to lay floral tributes outside.
One poignant message to Esme reads: "Such a sweet, kind-hearted girl, beautiful inside and out.
"Can’t believe I was only talking to you the other day. Missed so much. Love you Esme from Molly."
A police cordon remains around the destroyed caravan and surrounding area.
Faith told how the dad and daughter had been coming for weekend breaks and holidays for several years.
Paying tribute, she said: "Lee was a lovely fella, you couldn’t fault him. He was always brightening up the mood with Esme and they were both bundles of energy."
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A woman who runs a neighbouring camp shop - which the pair would regularly pop into on their way to the Fantasy island Theme Park - said: "They’re been coming here for four years and I've watched the little girl grown up.
"She was a lovely girl and we’d always give her sweets, and her father was very friendly. It was lovely to see them back each season.
"We are shocked and very saddened to find out about the fire."
A staff member at the caravan park said: "I’ve lost a personal friend here and everyone is very sad."
A mum-of-two, on a weekend away, told how she was woken up in the early hours by a "bright orange light" engulfing the campsite followed by the sounds of emergency services.
Lynda said: "There was bright orange light glowing across from our spot and the sound of sirens which woke me up.
"Someone had called the fire brigade because they arrived quite quickly."
Lynda added: "The caravan had gone up in smoke and it seemed anyone inside didn't stand a chance.
"We later heard two people had lost their lives, we think a dad and his daughter, but we have no idea who they are. It is very sad.
"There is a police presence here but no one has been evacuated."
Jack Price, who also works at the Sandancer, said of Lee and Esme: "Everyone behind the bar knew them. They were coming in every weekend.
"We always just had a good chat and the end of every night was a handshake, a hug and 'see you tomorrow'."
The tragedy comes nearly three years after two-year-old Louisiana Dolan died from smoke inhalation during a blaze at a holiday park just a mile away.
'This loss is incomprehensible'
Esme's mum Genette Baker was being comforted by relatives at her home in Retford, north Nottinghamshire, and was too upset to comment, reports the .
The mum-of-two, who runs a cleaning business, changed her profile picture on Facebook to a photo of Esme.
Another member of Lee and Esme’s family said in a statement: “Lee and Esme were excited to be spending the first weekend of the holidays together.
"We are all utterly devastated at what’s happened.
"This loss is incomprehensible at the moment, and we ask for people to give us space to process this utterly heartbreaking loss.”
Lincolnshire police have confirmed that an investigation into the tragedy is ongoing.
A fundraiser has been created in memory of the pair who were said to be like "two peas in a pod."
The page, set up by Paige Richmond, says: "Unfortunately on the morning of the April 5, a fire broke out taking the lives of both father Lee and daughter Esme, just ten years old at their holiday home within Ingoldmells, Skegness.
"Lee and Esme were two peas in a pod, both happy go-lucky people who loved life.
"They were and forever remain adored by Genette, his oldest daughter Paige and anyone who had the pleasure of meeting them.
"A charity night is to be later announced to celebrate the life of these two individuals sadly lost far too early.
"Information to be announced at a later date, to which anyone is welcome All contributions are being paid to Lee and Esme’s family."
You can donate to Paige's GoFundMe .
Today Lincolnshire Police released a statement officially naming the victims.
The Force said: "We are now in a position to name the people who sadly died in the caravan fire following the incident at the Golden Beach holiday park yesterday (5 April).
"Our investigations alongside those of our Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue colleagues continued well into the night to establish the cause of the blaze, and these investigations remain on-going today.
"Lincolnshire Police offer our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Lee and Esme.
"Our thoughts are with them at this incredibly sad time."
Senior Investigating Officer, Det Insp Lee Nixon said they are "close" to finding out what had happened.
He said: "We believe we might be close to arriving at a working hypothesis.
"We are working hard to validate the facts available to us to be able to provide answers for the family and loved ones of those who were very tragically taken by this fire.
"Yet the evident intensity of the fire has made this task incredibly challenging."
To add to that, Dan Moss, area manager for prevention and protection at Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, said: "Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the family at this time.
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"Our Fire Investigation Team is working with colleagues from Lincolnshire Police, and a full investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.
"Once investigations are complete, local fire crews and our community fire safety team will be on hand to talk to people in the area and address any fire safety concerns they may have, at what will be an upsetting time."
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