Three members of the same family including a teenage girl have died after being pulled from the water at a British seaside town – with another younger girl fighting for her life.
Ambulances, two helicopters and coastguards rushed to Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, at 3pm after fishermen reported seeing four people struggling in the water.
Sussex Police confirmed tonight that a man, a woman and a teenage girl have died. The fourth person, a younger girl, is in a critical condition. All four of those pulled from the water are from the same family.
A witness said that two children got into difficulty in the water before their parents jumped in after them. A fisherman is then understood to have pulled one of the children out of the water before raising the alarm.
The family’s names are yet to be revealed.
Chief Superintendent James Collis confirmed at a press conference tonight that the coastguard is not searching for anyone else.
Sussex Police said: ‘Tragically, despite the best efforts of paramedics, three people, a man, a woman, and a teenage girl, were sadly confirmed deceased.
‘A younger girl has been taken to hospital and is in critical condition. We can confirm, all four people were from the same family, and their next of kin had been informed.’
An investigation has been launched to understand the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
‘At this point, we believe all four entered the water from the land for a swim, and sadly, got into difficulty,’ the force added.
Three members of the same family have died after getting into difficult in the water at Shoreham-by-Sea earlier today
Police and ambulances rushed to the scene in West Sussex shortly after 3pm
Two air ambulances were seen landing on the shore a short time after 3pm
Eyewitnesses reported seeing police officers carrying evidence bags on the shore containing what appeared to be children’s clothing
Chief Superintendent James Collis said the family had entered the water for a swim before getting into difficulty
Pictures from the Shoreham seaside showed a huge emergency service response to the incident as eight ambulances parked on the shore beside helicopters.
Emergency services remained at the scene, around a 20 minute drive from Brighton, for hours after their 3pm arrival before a police cordon was removed shortly before 9pm.
Road closures had been put in place nearby with the A259 Brighton Road, which runs alongside the beach, blocked in both directions from New Road to Kingston Lane.
Gary and Victoria Flint had taken their children to the beach for the day. Victoria, from Horsham, said: ‘We arrived at about three and soon after we heard the siren for the lifeboat.
‘We watched it launch then about 20 mins later, it came back. Ambulances started arriving – more and more of them – then the air ambulances started.’
Earlier today, eyewitnesses reported seeing police officers carrying evidence bags on the shore containing what appeared to be children’s clothing.
One told ITV News: ‘I was up near the Coastguard tower when I saw two police officers come past me holding evidence bags after they looked to be going through belongings of, presumably, those who were involved in the incident.
‘The evidence bags did contain what appeared to be younger child’s clothing and other assorted items, and from that, I presume children were involved.’
A spokesman from the RNLI said lifeboat crews were launched at around 2.50pm this afternoon.
Two other lifeboats were also launched from the Brighton lifeboat station shortly after 3pm.
The coastguard, meanwhile, said ‘it responded to an incident reported at Shoreham at about 2.45pm’.
They added: ‘An HM Coastguard helicopter was sent as well as Littlehampton, Shoreham and Newhaven Coastguard Rescue Teams, and an RNLI lifeboat from Shoreham.’
