A body has been located off the coast of the Isle of Wight tonight (Sunday), with Bembridge RNLI and Coastguard Rescue 175 helicopter launched into the English Channel to recover the individual.
Bembridge RNLI’s All Weather Lifeboat was launched at 16:57 at the request of Solent Coastguard to assist in the search for a body around 10 nautical miles South East of Bembridge.
The Brittany Ferry ‘Cotentin’ reported the grim discovery at around 16:30.
Although the winds had abated there was still a 3m swell so it took the lifeboat ‘Alfred Albert Williams’ about 45 minutes to reach the search area.
Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 175 was scrambled from Lee on Solent and passed over the Island en-route to the reported location of the body. At around 18:20, after circling the search area for some 30 minutes or so, they reported that they had located a body in the water.
Bembridge Lifeboat was then tasked to recover the individual and return to Bembridge, where they were met by Police at 19:45.
No information has been made available about the identity of the person, or the circumstances of their death.
UPDATE MONDAY – Police have confirmed they are treating the death as unexplained at this time. Read more at https://www.islandecho.co.uk/death-of-person-found-floating-at-sea-being-treated-as-unexplained/.
So sad. RIP this person.
How terribly sad how lonely it’s awful