A man in his 50s died after getting into difficulty whilst swimming in the sea on New Year’s Day.
The swimmer was recovered from the water after he was seen struggling at around 10.30am to the west of Brighton Palace Pier.
However, despite efforts from the coastguard, police and air ambulance he died at the scene.
His family have been informed and his death is not being treated as suspicious, police say.
A spokesman for Sussex Police told the Sun: ‘Police were alerted to a man who had been recovered from the sea after getting into difficulty to the west of Brighton Palace Pier at around 10.35am on Thursday 1 January.
‘A 51-year-old man from Kettering was brought to shore and received medical attention.
‘Sadly, he was pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin have been informed.
‘The coroner has been informed, and the death is not being treated as suspicious.’
It comes after two men – one in his 40s and the other in his 60s – went missing after taking part in a traditional swim off the coast of Devon on Christmas day.
Matthew Upham, 63, is feared to have lost his life, while the second man is feared to have drowned trying to save him.
The pair were among dozens of others – some with Santa hats – who had taken the cold plunge into the sea only to get into serious difficulties within seconds due to huge swells caused by high winds.
It is understood Mr Upham, a wealthy antiques dealer, had also heroically tried to save a woman in distress before being swept away.
Mr Upham had nearly made it back to shore when he spotted a woman in difficulty beyond the surf line.
A friend of 30-years told the Mail on Sunday: ‘Matthew swam back out to reach her but as he did so a huge wave crashed into him and dragged him under. He hasn’t been seen since.
‘He was an exceptionally fit man and someone who swam those waters practically every day but more than that he was an incredibly selfless person.
‘So when he saw that woman in distress, there was only going to be one outcome and that was him swimming straight out to reach her rather than save himself.’
Heartbroken relatives of Mr Upham took to social media on Boxing Day to pay tribute to the ‘beloved family member’ who will be ‘missed forever’.
In a statement posted to his antique shop Instagram account, they wrote: ‘Our family is heartbroken by the loss of our beloved family member Matthew Upham, who was reported missing on Christmas morning.
‘Matthew is deeply loved and will be forever missed.
‘We would like to express our sincere and heartfelt thanks to the emergency services who responded, particularly the RNLI and coastguard, for their dedication, professionalism, and tireless efforts during this extremely difficult time.
‘We are profoundly grateful for their compassion and support.
‘As we grieve and support one another, we kindly ask that our family’s privacy is respected.
‘We thank everyone for their understanding, kindness, and condolences.’
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.
