Swimmer dies in Brighton beach tragedy

3:33pm Tuesday 19th June 2012 in News By Ben James and Peter Truman

SEARCH: Emergency services are searching for the swimmer SEARCH: Emergency services are searching for the swimmer

A man drowned whilst swimming off Brighton beach.

A major search was launched after the day-tripper went missing whilst swimming with friends near the West Pier at about 2.20pm yesterday. Lifeboat crews and the coastguard helicopter scoured the waters for several hours looking for the 24-year-old.

But as emergency services called off the search his body washed up between the two piers at about 5.20pm. Seafront officers performed CPR for about 20 minutes, but could not revive him.

Horrified onlookers watched as the man was dragged from the surf by seafront officers.

Many witnesses were in tears during the frantic attempts to save his, but when he could not be saved a windbreak was drawn around the body until the coroner's office arrived.

The man, who was from London, had been on a day trip with friends to Brighton and had gone for a swim but was spotted getting into difficulties before disappearing.

When his friends got out of the water they could not find him and raised the alarm.

His friends are believed to have told police he was not a strong swimmer, prompting a two hour search of the beach and water.

Sussex Police said that the man's family had not yet been informed.

A police 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.”

RNLI boats searching further out to sea before smaller rafts passed up and down the surf with crew desperately trying to spot any sign of the victim.

Several fishing boats and kayakers from Brighton Watersports on the beachfront joined in the search.

Alex Lawrence, 38, who works on the seafront, said: “I thought it was just another exercise but then I saw on the internet that someone was missing.

“I saw the helicopter hovering over West Pier and the lifeboats were moving slowly across the shallows.”

At about 5pm the RNLI, Coastguard and police had all decided to end their search for the day and said they would start looking again this morning. However just minutes later his body washed up on the beach.

Police said the man's family had not yet been informed and they were awaiting a report from the coroner's office, which is expected today.

Did you know the tragic swimmer? Please pay tribute below.

Comments(29)

Falstaff says...
5:42pm Tue 19 Jun 12

Saw the rescue efforts, which lasted about an hour and involved several vessels and a S&R helicopter. Hope the chap is OK.

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CharlotteP says...
7:10pm Tue 19 Jun 12

So sad - thoughts with his family and friends

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mimseycal says...
7:22pm Tue 19 Jun 12

Commiserations to family and friends.

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highlighter85 says...
7:32pm Tue 19 Jun 12

RIP young man. Such a sad end to what was meant to be a nice day.

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Unbias says...
8:00pm Tue 19 Jun 12

highlighter85 wrote:
RIP young man. Such a sad end to what was meant to be a nice day.
You said it all there highlighter.

Sad report, thoughts to all who knew him x

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Hove Actually says...
9:18pm Tue 19 Jun 12

Sad indeed, sadder is the fact the search was called off at 5pm when it was still very light, I did not know rescues worked from 8 to 5 with tea /lunch breaks?

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The Baron Pepperpot says...
9:59pm Tue 19 Jun 12

Hove Actually wrote:
Sad indeed, sadder is the fact the search was called off at 5pm when it was still very light, I did not know rescues worked from 8 to 5 with tea /lunch breaks?
I suspect their reasoning was something other than it being tea time.

Tis sad news, I hate reading about these happenings. R.I.P fellah.

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ShorehamBeachcomber says...
10:06pm Tue 19 Jun 12

Hove Actually wrote:
Sad indeed, sadder is the fact the search was called off at 5pm when it was still very light, I did not know rescues worked from 8 to 5 with tea /lunch breaks?
Indeed, extraordinary decision in good light & good weather, less hope the Argus get to the bottom of this & find the decision maker

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username11 says...
10:07pm Tue 19 Jun 12

Hove Actually wrote:
Sad indeed, sadder is the fact the search was called off at 5pm when it was still very light, I did not know rescues worked from 8 to 5 with tea /lunch breaks?
If you had read the report thoroughly you would appreciate that the swimmer disappeared under water at around 2 o'clock. The search was called off at 5...

2 1/2 hours with no oxygen, I think chances of survival were slim to say the least!!

I saw the rescue attempts and must commend the actions of all the emergency services and council lifeguards. The search was incredibly thorough. Ultimately it was an unfortunate and tragic accident.

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snowflakes26 says...
10:30pm Tue 19 Jun 12

i actually seen the search going on today while down the beach i think the the coast gaurds did their best it was horrible thinking that someone has died r.i.p

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greeg2 says...
10:54pm Tue 19 Jun 12

It'll all come out in the end.But, he was either blotto,or the sea was rough.Either way,too young to die.

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worthingite says...
11:16pm Tue 19 Jun 12

ShorehamBeachcomber wrote:
Hove Actually wrote:
Sad indeed, sadder is the fact the search was called off at 5pm when it was still very light, I did not know rescues worked from 8 to 5 with tea /lunch breaks?
Indeed, extraordinary decision in good light & good weather, less hope the Argus get to the bottom of this & find the decision maker
Just so you know the helicopter was dispatched to another job to save another persons life, the search was carried on but took a different tack,basically just waiting for the very sad event of someone finding this swimmer in the water on the beach,sometimes depending on the ebb of the tide they could be missing for days and even weeks.Coastguards get paid peanuts and do for the love of it,and before you ask,I am nothing to do with the coastguard,just have a marine radio and was listening in. Thoughts are with the family of the deceased and the emergency services who have to give the news to the family.

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CharlotteP says...
11:39pm Tue 19 Jun 12

I saw the helicopter and the life boats out searching - they searched for absolutely ages sweeping along from the Pier - I really don't think they could have worked any harder. I commend the people who do this difficult job. Once again thoughts with this man's family and friends.

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turtling. says...
12:28am Wed 20 Jun 12

what a tragic end to such a young life.... rip

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minnie&teddy says...
8:14am Wed 20 Jun 12

how sad we feel so sorry for the family RI P young man

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sim1846 says...
9:46am Wed 20 Jun 12

I was down at the beach when so the search going on today think the the coast guards did their best it was horrible thinking that someone has died.

With such a large amount of Tourists heading for Brighton's beaches, we need to start fund raising for the Surf Lifesaver's so they can have Observation Towers, it would at least give them the advantage of seeing if someone was in difficulty a lot quicker than those sitting on the beach.

Let us know your thoughts on this.

R.I.P, and God Bless

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mnairb says...
12:20pm Wed 20 Jun 12

Very few people actually drown - most die of exposure. You may not have noticed, but we have had a cold summer and the sea is still cold. After 3 hours in the water, the rescue services know that they are looking for a body, not a live swimmer. Just spend 20 minutes in the sea at the moment and see how you feel.

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Gillian121 says...
3:01pm Wed 20 Jun 12

sim1846 wrote:
I was down at the beach when so the search going on today think the the coast guards did their best it was horrible thinking that someone has died.

With such a large amount of Tourists heading for Brighton's beaches, we need to start fund raising for the Surf Lifesaver's so they can have Observation Towers, it would at least give them the advantage of seeing if someone was in difficulty a lot quicker than those sitting on the beach.

Let us know your thoughts on this.

R.I.P, and God Bless
An observation tower is a great idea with Brighton being such a popular place in the summer you would have thought they would have one already, im in for the fund raising if need be, maybe the argus could start it up for us with an advert to see whos interested

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odear says...
5:05pm Wed 20 Jun 12

Gravitational pull of the moon and the sun - the moon has the most influence, the gravitational force of the sun is about half that of the moon. The highest (and consequently the lowest) tides occur around full or new moon, ie, the biggest tidal range. These are called spring tides and occur about once a fortnight when the sun and moon are in alignment.

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ZeinaClare says...
5:20pm Wed 20 Jun 12

I was in the sea at the same time, but on the Hove beach end. I was out having sea swimming coaching and was wearing a wetsuit, goggles, hat etc. The water was about 16 degrees. The tide was going out and it was hard to swim against the current. I am a strong swimmer but struggled a bit. I hate to think the horror the drowned swimmer went though. The sea may have looked calm, but underneath there is a very strong current. Condolences to the family. I also think the beach should have watch tower stations. You cant see a swimmer with reflections and light bouncing off the water, sat on the beach.

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clubrob6 says...
6:06pm Wed 20 Jun 12

ZeinaClare wrote:
I was in the sea at the same time, but on the Hove beach end. I was out having sea swimming coaching and was wearing a wetsuit, goggles, hat etc. The water was about 16 degrees. The tide was going out and it was hard to swim against the current. I am a strong swimmer but struggled a bit. I hate to think the horror the drowned swimmer went though. The sea may have looked calm, but underneath there is a very strong current. Condolences to the family. I also think the beach should have watch tower stations. You cant see a swimmer with reflections and light bouncing off the water, sat on the beach.
You are right the sea was calm and very deceiving ,i noticed a strong current too and i did not go out far,perhaps on the information notices all along the seafront there should be a warning of the strong current even in calm conditions ,i live in HOVE so i know about them but tourists like this poor chap that died wont know.Plus a lot of people like me like to have a couple of beers on a nice day on the beach which can also catch you out.The lifeguards are responsible mainly for between the flags and cant see right along the beach especially with the groynes and brekwaters.

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clubrob6 says...
6:14pm Wed 20 Jun 12

Gillian121 wrote:
sim1846 wrote:
I was down at the beach when so the search going on today think the the coast guards did their best it was horrible thinking that someone has died.

With such a large amount of Tourists heading for Brighton's beaches, we need to start fund raising for the Surf Lifesaver's so they can have Observation Towers, it would at least give them the advantage of seeing if someone was in difficulty a lot quicker than those sitting on the beach.

Let us know your thoughts on this.

R.I.P, and God Bless
An observation tower is a great idea with Brighton being such a popular place in the summer you would have thought they would have one already, im in for the fund raising if need be, maybe the argus could start it up for us with an advert to see whos interested
I thought the life guards were responsible for the area between the flags,although i agree around the two piers area it would be good to have lifeguard towers as the beach level you cant see far with the groynes and sea defences.But a warning should be put on all the signs that are along the beach of the strong currents even in calm conditions like they were when this poor chap drowned.I only went out to my waiste and i could feel the current trying to pull be out as the tide was going out.

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Diana Trimble says...
8:12am Thu 21 Jun 12

Of course it is tragic, but as someone who has grown up around the sea and knows its power, I can NEVER understand people from the city who just leap into the waters on a hot day as if it were nothing more than a giant swimming pool! Every one of the deaths this summer, so far, has been due to poor risk assessment on the part of the deceased, including the case where the guy foolishly sacrificed his own life to save a kid whose clueless parent had stuck it on a floaty raft in high winds. People lauded him as a hero but I think he should have watched out for himself. People please! These are forces of nature: be aware and BEWARE.

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Tallywhacker says...
10:10am Thu 21 Jun 12

Contrary to popular belief drowning people don't thrash about shouting help. Signs won't help either as is evidenced by how many people read them and still jump off the pier and the groynes. http://beachsafe.org
.au/beach/sa0230B ....A little info and less beer can save your life.

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Tallywhacker says...
10:14am Thu 21 Jun 12

Tallywhacker wrote:
Contrary to popular belief drowning people don't thrash about shouting help. Signs won't help either as is evidenced by how many people read them and still jump off the pier and the groynes. http://beachsafe.org

.au/beach/sa0230B ....A little info and less beer can save your life.
Before anyone says it I know the link is Aussie. Pity we don't have the same thing here.

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sim1846 says...
10:19am Thu 21 Jun 12

Many thanks for your feedback on the subject of having observation towers along the beach, and will take this to the next step, so we need as many readers to back this, I am sure with the will power we can get the funds together to place these observation towers along the beach, and know how important they are to saving life's as I have been in a situation at Manly Beach Sydney Australia, when I got in to difficulty as well as a mate, I managed to get out of it myself, but my mate needed the surf lifesavers, and I can tell you now that if it wasn't for the people in the towers, he would not have been saved, the other thing to point out is that are many people aware that if they get in to difficulty they need to put their hand and arm up to sign for help, if not signs also need to be placed up along the beach letting people know that this is what they need to do for Help.

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turtling. says...
10:27pm Thu 21 Jun 12

I wonder if the paddle round the pier people have taken note of this

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SA Seagull says...
3:16pm Fri 22 Jun 12

On the subject of watch towers at Brighton beach, rather than build another building along the promenade could we not utilise the current structures and proposed. by this I mean we have the palace pier that stretches out at least 250metres long could not a lookout post be build on the pier only used by lifeguards during the summer months and isn't the west pier getting a lovely new tourist attraction, could not an addition platform be designed into it by the Architect and Struc. Engineer. These two locations would be better situated that a tower which would only be about 10-20 metres high. And on the subject of the young man how perished my sincere condolences.

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EastbourneActually says...
12:24am Tue 26 Jun 12

Hove Actually wrote:
Sad indeed, sadder is the fact the search was called off at 5pm when it was still very light, I did not know rescues worked from 8 to 5 with tea /lunch breaks?
What a thoughtlessly crass comment to make..my son was the seafront officer who knew that he and his team were searching for the young mans' body in practically zero visibility. He then had to perform CPR until the emergency services arrived, all the while knowing it was hopeless.Perhaps you should try and imagine the horror he and his young team, some of them very new lifeguards, went through in those moments before making such stupid comments. If any of the rescuers had thought for the slightest moment that that poor young man was still alive do you think they would have "knocked off for a tea break"....Unbelievab
le.

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