Dead body washed up on beach as students prepare to film death scene

The scene where the body was washed up: Botany Bay

Film students preparing to shoot a death scene on a Kent beach were shocked when a real dead body washed up on the shore.

The woman’s corpse was brought ashore by the tide at Botany Bay in Broadstairs on Saturday afternoon.

Second year film undergraduates from Canterbury Christ Church University were getting ready to shoot a key scene in their film titled ‘Footprints’.  

“It was a bit freaky to say the least,” said student Dave Larke, 48, who is the movie’s producer.

“Our actress looked up and saw a bloke pulling something out of the sea, then she suddenly realised it was a dead body.

“We went over to see if the guy was all right with it because we could see he was having trouble with his phone. And just to make sure that we weren’t wrong in what we had seen.

“I was probably a foot away from it at the closest point, which wasn’t nice at all.”

A man walking with his young son found the woman, who is said to be in her 60s.

Police were called and closed access to the beach.

Dave continued: “Our crew was left shocked, but I think the girls suffered more than the men that were there.”

“It eventually affected virtually every member of the crew. The chances of that happening are virtually nil. You are looking to shoot a scene and it’s happening right behind you.”

He said after it happened that “most of us just turned around and said that’s it, we’re not doing it.”

Police have said the woman’s death is not being treated as suspicious but police are continuing to investigate and a post mortem is being conducted.

The woman had earlier been reported missing by her family.

Watch the full interview with Dave Larke: