Incident Details
A man has died after getting into trouble in the sea at West Wittering beach near Portsmouth. Emergency services were called to the beach near the Beach Café on Pound Road at around 2:30pm on Sunday, 26 July, following reports of two adults in difficulty in the water.
Two men were pulled from the sea and treated by paramedics. Despite efforts, one man was pronounced dead at the scene. The other man was taken to hospital as a precaution. Police confirmed the men are not believed to know each other.
Emergency Response
Sussex Police stated: "Emergency services were called to the beach near the Beach Café, Pound Road, West Wittering, around 2.30pm on Sunday, 26 July, after two adults got into difficulty in the water. Both were pulled from the sea and received treatment from emergency services at the scene. Sadly, one of the men was pronounced dead at the scene. The other man has been taken to hospital as a precaution. The men are not believed to be known to each other. Next of kin have been informed and the matter has been passed to the coroner’s officer."
In a Facebook post, West Wittering Beach administrators said: "We are deeply saddened to confirm that a 55-year-old man has sadly passed away following an incident at West Wittering Beach today. Our lifeguards responded immediately and together with the ambulance service, coastguard and other emergency services, provided advanced first aid and CPR. Despite their best efforts, he was sadly pronounced deceased. The circumstances surrounding this incident are currently being established, and it would be inappropriate to speculate at this time. Our thoughts and sincere condolences are with the man's family, friends and all those affected by this tragic incident. We would like to thank our lifeguards, emergency service colleagues and members of the public who assisted during the response. We respectfully ask that the privacy of the family is respected at this incredibly difficult time."
Water Safety Campaign
The Mirror has launched the Save Lives For Sam water safety campaign to tackle the UK's growing drowning crisis. Backed by MPs, Olympic champions, national water safety organisations and bereaved families, the campaign is calling for urgent action to make waters safer, including compulsory water safety lessons in schools, a nationwide public awareness campaign, better lifesaving equipment at high-risk waterways, the introduction of Sam's Law, and a dedicated Minister for Water Safety.
