Humberside Police have confirmed that a second body has been recovered from the sea off Withernsea, East Yorkshire, as the search for a third missing person resumes. The body was retrieved on Friday evening amid what authorities described as 'horrendous conditions'. Earlier, a 67-year-old man was pulled unconscious from the water but later died.
Emergency services were called to the area just after 3pm on Friday. The search was suspended at 12.30am on Saturday but recommenced at dawn, with HM Coastguard, Yorkshire Ambulance Service, and Humberside Fire and Rescue remaining in the area. '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 stated that the circumstances surrounding both deaths are not believed to be suspicious. They urged the public to avoid the area to allow emergency services to work efficiently and safely. Waves reportedly reached nearly 3 metres (10ft) during the day, and helicopters and aircraft were deployed alongside ambulances.
Darrin Stevens, a photographer living 250 metres from the coast, described the weather as 'bitter and freezing'. He said, '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.'
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has issued advice warning of the risks of cold water shock, particularly as average sea temperatures around the UK and Ireland are currently between 6°C and 10°C. Gareth Morrison, RNLI head of water safety, urged those entering the water to 'check sea conditions carefully and to understand their own limitations'.
The incident follows the death of a 51-year-old man 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 west of Brighton Palace Pier.
