AN INVESTIGATION has been launched into the sinking of a boat which has claimed the lives of up to three men.

A major search and rescue operation was launched yesterday after a commercial fishing boat found a 45-year-old man clinging to a buoy.

An eight-hour search for the missing crew found a body in the water two hours later but was called off in the early afternoon with no reasonable prospect of finding the other two men.

The four men, two of who are from Brighton and all Romanian nationals, were heading out for a fishing trip in a 5m boat.

A joint investigation by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) and Sussex Police will look into reports the boat could have collided with a larger vessel before sinking in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The doomed vessel is thought to have left Shoreham Harbour at around midnight and got into trouble around two hours later but no distress call was received by authorities.

The rescued crew member, a man from London, is thought to have survived several hours in the sea and was suffering from effects of the cold when he was picked up two miles west of Shoreham Harbour.

He remained in hospital for observation last night.

Local fishermen heading out to sea yesterday morning were advised by officials to keep an eye out for items of clothing floating in the sea.

Two Coastguard helicopters and 15 boats and ships, including lifeboats from Shoreham and Brighton and vessels working at the Rampion offshore wind farm, were involved in the extensive search.

Beaches between Brighton and Worthing were also searched.

One body was recovered from the sea and brought ashore by helicopter at around 8.15am.

There are no indications that weather played a factor in the sinking as visibility was said to be excellent on Saturday night and seas slight.

Detective Chief Inspector Rachel Carr said: “We are now trying to establish the circumstances and to identify the other vessel involved.

“An earlier appeal for information prompted a significant number of calls and I would like to thank people for their prompt responses, which enabled us to quickly identify who had been involved. Our thoughts are with the families and friends.”

Andy Jenkins, UK Coastguard controller said: “Following an extensive search of the area nothing further has been found at this time so the decision has been made to suspend the search pending further information.”

Anyone with information should call 101 quoting Operation Barnet.