Three women were found dead in the sea off Brighton Beach early on Wednesday morning, prompting a major emergency response and a police investigation to establish their identities and the circumstances of their deaths.
Sussex Police said emergency services were called to concerns for the welfare of three women in the water near Madeira Drive at around 5.45am on Wednesday. The bodies of the three women were later recovered from the sea.
Chief Superintendent Adam Hays of Sussex Police described the incident as tragic and said fast-moving inquiries are underway. He stated: “This is a tragic incident and fast-moving inquiries are ongoing to confirm the identities of these three women and understand exactly what has happened.”
Police said their priority is to identify all three women and contact their next of kin. “Our priority right now is to identify all three women and contact their next kin,” Chief Superintendent Hays said during a press briefing.
The coastguard completed an extensive search of the water and police confirmed they are not searching for anyone else. “Our partners in the Coastguard have completed an extensive search of the water and at this stage, we are not searching for anyone else,” Hays said.
Emergency services, including police, the coastguard, a helicopter and RNLI lifeboats from Brighton and Shoreham, attended the scene. Crews rushed to the beach alongside a helicopter and two lifeboats on Wednesday morning. Coastguard teams from Shoreham, Newhaven, Littlehampton and Birling Gap also joined the response effort.
The beach area east of the Volks Railway Black Rock car park was closed for at least the rest of the afternoon while officers worked at the scene. Police asked the public to stay away from the area. “I would ask the public to stay away from the scene at this time while emergency services continue their work,” Hays said.
Investigators are gathering and reviewing CCTV from the surrounding area, including properties and local businesses nearby, to understand what happened.
Police said the sea appeared choppy, with waves crashing against the marina wall on Wednesday morning.
The women’s ages and identities have not yet been disclosed and the circumstances leading to the deaths remain unclear.
Authorities have appealed for information. Anyone with details that could help the investigation can contact Sussex Police online or via 101 quoting Operation LEDGMOR.
Chief Superintendent Hays acknowledged the impact on the community, saying: “I know this incident will be highly distressing for the community and we are working hard with our partners to understand exactly what has happened.”
Police said further updates will be issued as inquiries progress.
