A second body has been pulled from freezing waters during a major search operation off the Yorkshire Coast.
Rescue crews launched a dramatic search following reports of a ‘number of people in difficulty in the water’, near Withernsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, on Friday afternoon as an Arctic chill grips Britain.
It comes after a pensioner, aged 67, who was also pulled from the water, was pronounced dead.
Humberside Police confirmed the second body was recovered earlier this evening and that they remain at the scene, searching for one more person who entered the water this afternoon.
It comes just hours after a man in his 50s died after getting into difficulty at Brighton beach on New Year’s Day.
HM Coastguard, Yorkshire Ambulance Service, Humberside Police, and Humberside Fire and Rescue all scrambled crews to Withernsea at around 3.15pm to try and rescue those in the freezing sea.
Yorkshire Ambulance Service initially said four people had entered the water. But by 7.15pm on Friday, HM Coastguard said it was searching for two people, having previously said it was reporting to ‘a number of people in difficulty in the water’.
Humberside Police has confirmed that a 67-year-old man was pulled from the water, but tragically died shortly after at the scene. The rescue operation is continuing into the night.
Emergency services gathered at the scene amid the ongoing major rescue operation
HM Coastguard deployed a helicopter to the scene
Eyewitnesses reported seeing flashing blue lights across the promenade
HM Coastguard and Humberside Police were among the services called to the scene
A spokesperson for Humberside Police said earlier this evening: ‘During the initial searches, emergency services recovered an unconscious man from the water. Despite the best efforts we can confirm a 67-year-old man died a short time later at the scene.
‘The circumstances around his death are not thought to be suspicious. Searches are still ongoing. Residents will continue to see an increased police presence in and around the area as the search continues.
‘We would ask people to please avoid the area to allow emergency services to work efficiently and safely.’
It comes just one day after people were not allowed to enter the sea for the annual New Year’s Day swim event due to large breaking waves, and amid a yellow weather warning for snow and ice on the Yorkshire coast.
Snow showers are expected overnight, with the Met Office reporting a likelihood of around one to three cm of snow, with up to eight cm possible in places.
It’s due to an Arctic chill, with the Met Office expecting daytime temperatures across the UK to struggle to breach 0C (32F) and could even fall into the minus double digits over the coming days.
The search has been ongoing for much of the afternoon and into Friday evening.
Resident Darrin Stevens told the BBC he had seen lots of emergency crews near the beach on Friday, adding: ‘It’s just blue lights, wall-to-wall from one side to the other’.
Another eyewitness, Karen Higgs, claimed a teenage girl had fallen into the sea.
She told The Telegraph people had attempted to pull her back to safety with a safety ring, but that she ‘never tried to catch it’.
‘We were all shouting at her to catch it, catch it’, she said. ‘She just didn’t. Then she was going out further. Every time she went out she came in harder.
Crews remain on the promenade and have urged residents to avoid the area
The major rescue operation has pulled together all emergency services in the area
Paul Whitehead, the owner of Castle Cafe on the promenade, told The Telegraph the sea was so rough that the girl, who he estimated to be around 15 years old, ‘got washed away’.
He added that four men who were on the promenade went to help, along with the girl’s parents.
‘The young girl had hold of the ring but was hit by a wave and couldn’t hold on and went under,’ he said.
Earlier this evening, HM Coastguard issued a statement which read: ‘HM Coastguard is searching for two missing people in the water off Withernsea today, 2 January.
‘First alerted to reports of people in difficulty in the water at around 3.10pm, assets sent to the scene include an HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft, Coastguard Rescue Teams from Withernsea, Hornsea and Hull, the RNLI’s inshore lifeboat from Withernsea and all-weather lifeboat from Bridlington, and Hornsea Inshore Rescue.
‘Yorkshire Ambulance Service has been sent as well as an air ambulance. Humberside Police and Humberside Fire and Rescue are also in attendance.’
