FELIXSTOWE: An investigation was launched today into claims that a ferry caused a metre-high wave which knocked over a young girl who was standing by the Felixstowe shoreline.

The incident happened on Saturday at around 7pm when three-year-old Lowyn Green was standing by the shoreline with her sister Dayna, 12, in Sea Road.

The wave knocked both girls off their feet and their mum, Sadie, claims if it had not been for the quick actions of Dayna, her youngest daughter could have been swept out to sea and died.

“The wave would have taken an adult out because it was above my daughter’s waist,” she said.

“I’m just so thankful because if Dayna wasn’t there I think Lowyn would have died.

“I just feared what was going to happen and I was so relieved when she got her out of the water – she’s my little hero.”

Mrs Green, who was spending the day with her girls and husband Barry in the resort, was terrified when she saw what happened.

She claimed a Stena Line ferry could have caused the wave.

Staff at the Harwich Haven Authority were informed of the incident and said if the ferry was speeding it would have been marginal and the wind on Saturday could have also caused waves.

The Deputy Harbour Master said: “I got the report this morning but I can’t comment if she was exceeding any speed limit. We will be investigating carefully.”

The incident comes several years after the controversial Stena Discovery high-speed ferry, dubbed the Wave Machine, was taken out of service.

The ship’s jet turbine engines were blamed for high waves that washed on the Felixstowe shores which saw many beach-goers’ belongings washed out to sea.

Stena Line was unavailable to comment on the incident.

n Did you witness the wave? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or you can e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.