2 days ago
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A second body has been recovered from the sea off the coast of Withernsea, East Yorkshire, as the search resumes for a third missing person.
Humberside police said the body of a second person was retrieved on Friday evening. Earlier, a 67-year-old man had been pulled unconscious from the water, but he died later.
Emergency services were called to the area just after 3pm. The search was stopped at 12.30am on Saturday but HM Coastguard, Yorkshire ambulance service and Humberside fire and rescue remained in the area as the search recommenced at dawn.
“Efforts will resume at first light, when coastguard rescue teams along with partner agencies will be sent to conduct additional searches of the area,” HM Coastguard said in a statement.
Police said circumstances surrounding both deaths were not believed to be suspicious.
“We continue to ask that people avoid the area to allow emergency services to work efficiently and safely,” the force added.
Emergency services were called to reports of people in difficulty in the water and ambulances, helicopters and aircraft were among the services deployed to brave “horrendous conditions”, with waves reportedly reaching almost 3 metres (10ft) during the day.
Darrin Stevens, a photographer who lives 250 metres from the coast, described the weather as bitter and freezing.
He said: “I came back into my office and I could see [emergency services] 30ft away from the sea. You could see the helicopter so close to the house it was incredible.
“The sea could have been very dangerous, the water is very bitter and if they are in that water they do not have long. It is a dangerous place to be.
“It was freezing, and when the sea is as harsh as it is, every care needs to be taken, you need to be at your wisest,” he said.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has issued advice, warning that the effects of cold water shock, combined with weather conditions, pose a risk to anyone entering water that is 15C or below, particularly at a time of year when the average sea temperature around the UK and Ireland is 6C to 10C.
Gareth Morrison, the head of water safety for the RNLI, said: “We know this time of year many people take part in festive and new year dips, or continue to take part in regular winter swims. We are urging anyone entering the water to be aware of the dangers, check sea conditions carefully and to understand their own limitations.
“With the sea temperatures still dropping and reaching their coldest around March, the effects of cold water, combined with weather conditions and any personal health issues, should be taken seriously before venturing in.”
A 51-year-old man died in the sea at Brighton on New Year’s Day. Sussex police were alerted at 10.35am on Thursday after the swimmer, from Kettering, Northamptonshire, was recovered from the water to the west of Brighton Palace Pier.
