A WOMAN has died after falling into the water at a popular beach, following a desperate rescue attempt.
Emergency boats and a coastguard helicopter had raced to the seafront at Brighton, East Sussex, at around 4am following “concerns for a woman in the sea”.
After arriving at the scene, emergency services rushed the woman in her 20s to hospital but tragically they were unable to save her life, and she was pronounced deceased on arrival.
Cops do not believe her death to be suspicious at this time.
A spokesperson for Sussex Police said: “Police were called following concerns for a woman in the sea off the coast of Brighton just before 3am on Wednesday, April 16.
“Emergency services responded to the scene and the woman, in her 20s and from Lewes, was taken to hospital where she was sadly pronounced deceased.
“Her next of kin have been informed and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.
“There are no suspicious circumstances and this will now be a matter for the coroner.”
Emergency workers had been seen on the shore scouring the waves with binoculars by Brighton Pier earlier today.
Ambulances and police cars had also been spotted on the beach as coastguard vessels patrolled the surf and a chopper circled overhead.
An RNLI lifeboat could also be seen breaking through the waves as it searched for the reported missing person while the sun rose this morning.
A spokeswoman for HM Coastguard said: “HM Coastguard has been responding to a person in the water in the Brighton Palace Pier area this morning, 16 April.
“Alerted at around 4am, Shoreham and Newhaven Coastguard Rescue Teams, lifeboats from Shoreham and Brighton RNLI and a coastguard search and rescue helicopter were sent to the scene.
“HM Coastguard coordinated the search, and the casualty was located and passed in to the care of the ambulance service.”
A spokeswoman for Sussex Police said previously: “Police were called following concerns for a woman in the sea off the coast of Brighton just before 3am on Wednesday, April 16.
“Emergency services remain at the scene and we have no further information at this time.”
