A 67-year-old man has died after being pulled unconscious from the sea at Withernsea on the East Yorkshire coast. Emergency services responded to reports of people in difficulty in the water at around 3:15pm on Friday, January 2. Searches continue for two other individuals as multiple agencies battle extreme weather conditions.
Despite rescue efforts, the man died a short time after being recovered. Humberside Police confirmed the circumstances of his death are not considered suspicious.
The major search operation involves HM Coastguard, RNLI, Yorkshire Ambulance Service, Humberside Police and Fire & Rescue, and Mountain Rescue. Assets deployed include a search and rescue helicopter, fixed-wing aircraft, coastguard rescue teams from Withernsea, Hornsea and Hull, and lifeboats from Withernsea and Bridlington.
Challenging Conditions
Rescue teams are battling severe weather as they search. Plummeting temperatures, active snow and ice warnings, and high waves complicate the operation. Three-meter waves at the Hornsea slipway prevented the local inshore rescue team from launching their lifeboat. The sun set just after 3:50pm, adding darkness to the challenges.
Humberside Police stated: «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.»
The Coastguard confirmed they are searching for two missing people in the water off Withernsea. Multiple emergency service commanders remain at the scene coordinating the ongoing operation.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
