A search and rescue operation is underway to locate potential casualties in the water after a car plunged into the sea at Gurnard shortly before midnight.
It was at around 23:45 that emergency services were alerted to a vehicle crashing into the sea from the slipway beside Gurnard Sailing Club.
Police, the Isle of Wight Ambulance Service and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service all responded to the scene at Shore Road, quickly locating a car in the water.
With fears that persons may be unaccounted for, a search of the Cowes to Gurnard shoreline has been launched this morning (Sunday).
HM Coastguard has tasked Coastguard Rescue 175 helicopter from Lee-on-Solent, Cowes RNLI lifeboat and 2 Coastguard Rescue Teams from Ventnor and Bembridge.
At the same time, investigations are underway to establish the wider circumstances of the crash.
The incident has prompted a Police Incident Commander to be deployed to the scene, alongside an Operational Commander from the ambulance service, a Tactical Advisor from the fire service and a Senior Coastal Operations Officer from the Coastguard.
The search continues.
UPDATE @ 02:55 – Police have cordoned off the area around the slipway as investigations continue.
It’s understood the Collision Investigation Unit from the mainland has been alerted to the incident with specialist forensic officers en-route to the Island.
The search has now concluded.
UPDATE @ 12:36 – Police have comfirmed that a man in his 40s, from Ryde, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Read more at https://www.islandecho.co.uk/1-dead-after-car-plunges-into-the-sea-at-gurnard-slipway/.
Was anyone in the car or injured and were they fishing??I might turn out to know them if I had more information i fish in that exact same spot out the back of my care on that slipway with wedges under the wheels to prevent it rolling
4 senior officers? Obviously someone didn’t want to miss out.
Have people been recovered and ok