A London man drowned after going swimming with friends on a day trip to Brighton.
A major rescue operation was launched after the 24-year-old got into difficulties and went missing in the sea yesterday afternoon.
Lifeboats, local fishing vessels and a coastguard helicopter joined the search as horrified tourists looked on. But after three hours, the man’s body washed up on the beach.
Paramedics tried for about 20 minutes to revive him and witnesses were said to be in tears. Sussex police said the man’s family had not yet been informed.
A spokesman said: “At 2.20pm police were informed by the coastguard that a man swimming off Brighton beach was in difficulties.
“The man is understood to be 24 and from London and was with a group of friends visiting Brighton for the day when he appears to have got into difficulties just off the beach at the bottom of West Street.”
The search was launched after the man’s friends raised the alarm with a lifeguard. Several fishing boats and kayakers from a local watersports club joined in the search.
Mark Bell, helmsman for Brighton RNLI, said there were four RNLI boats, two lifeguard boats and ten swimmers searching for the man.
“The lifeguard responded first because they were on the scene. Within a few minutes there were eight lifeguards searching the area,” he said.
“Then we joined in with a coastguard helicopter.
“It was a tragic incident and our thoughts are with his friends and family.”
