A family of four was pulled from the sea in Shoreham, West Sussex, after getting into difficulty in the water. The rescue operation involved at least two helicopters, eight road ambulances, and lifeboat crews. Two adults and two children were brought to shore, with CPR performed on three of them, according to The Sun. Their condition is not yet known.
Witnesses describe mayhem
Local fishermen alerted police just before 3pm after spotting a young girl struggling in the waves. They then noticed a panicked young boy, a woman, and a man also in trouble in the water, The Sun reports.
Gary and Victoria Flint, local parents, told The Sun they were at the beach with their children when the incident unfolded. Victoria said: "We arrived at about three, and soon after we heard the siren for the lifeboat. We watched it launch and then, about 20 mins later, it came back. Ambulances started arriving. More and more of them. Then the air ambulances started."
Emergency response and road closure
Local resident Pete Book said he saw the coastguard helicopter circling the lifeboat station on his way home from the pub. "As I neared home, a yellow air ambulance also landed," he said. "There were a lot of ambulances, coastguard and police vehicles converging on the area, and the coast road was closed. An orange-and-white air ambulance then landed. The lifeboat had also launched and was returning to the station – so I assume its crew had picked up the casualties."
Another local described the scene as "mayhem," noting the sheer number of emergency vehicles. One resident told the Express: "I first heard the helicopters go past my home on the seafront. This was quickly followed by sirens, it is the most emergency services I have ever seen in my life. I saw Coastguard crews turn up, police, ambulance and critical incident units. Police were quick to cordon the road. There has been nothing like this happen on the beach before in the whole 25 years I have lived in the town. It's a safe beach with an RNLI station and a watch tower."
Official statements
South East Coast Ambulance Service confirmed it was called to reports of four people in need of medical attention near Shoreham Harbour. A spokesperson said: "We were called shortly after 3pm and have a number of ambulance resources at the scene. We have no further information to share at this time but will provide updates as soon as possible."
Sussex Police said: "Emergency services are currently responding to reports of four people in difficulty in the water close to Shoreham Fort. A section of the A259 in Shoreham has been closed as the incident remains ongoing, and we’re urging the public to stay clear of the area in the meantime. We will provide more information as soon as we are able to."
