A woman has sadly died following a major emergency operation off the coast of Brighton in the early hours of Wednesday morning (April 16).
Emergency services were called just before 3am amid concerns for a woman reported to be in the water near Brighton Palace Pier.
In an update, Brighton RNLI confirmed:
“In the early hours of this morning, our volunteer crew launched in response to reports of a person in the water near Brighton Palace Pier. Working alongside lifeboats from Shoreham RNLI, Shoreham and Newhaven Coastguard Rescue Teams, a coastguard helicopter, and other emergency services, a search was carried out. Sadly, a woman in her 20s was later confirmed to have died. Our thoughts are with her loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.”
Earlier, HM Coastguard said it had been alerted to the incident around 4am and dispatched extensive search resources, including helicopters and multiple lifeboats.

Sussex Police confirmed that emergency crews remain on the scene and investigations are ongoing.
The woman’s identity has not yet been made public, and authorities have not released further details surrounding the circumstances of the incident.
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