Teams had been searching for a third person after two people died in the incident
The search for a third person missing in the Withernsea tragedy that has already taken two lives, has been called off. HM Coastguard confirmed at 4pm that the search, which had resumed at 6.30am had been stood down.
Two people have already been confirmed dead, one a 67-year-old man. No details have yet been released about the second victim, or the third person still missing. Emergency services were called to the seafront just after 3pm on Friday, following reports of a ‘number of people in difficulty’.
Humberside Police said on Friday night: “Alongside HM Coastguard, Yorkshire Ambulance Service and Humberside Fire & Rescue, Humberside Police officers were immediately deployed to the area.
“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.”
They later released a second statement confirming a second person, already deceased, had been recovered from the water. Searches were ongoing for a third person.
Yesterday’s extensive air and sea search for the remaining person was stood down at 12.30am with teams reconvening early this morning and searching in treacherous, freezing conditions and heavy snow.
A new statement from the Coastguard at 4pm said : “After resuming shoreline searches in Withernsea for one missing person today, 3 January, HM Coastguard stood down its extensive search effort this afternoon.”