Search and Rescue Launched Off Withernsea Coast

Emergency services launched a major search and rescue operation Friday afternoon after reports of several people in difficulty in the water off the coast of Withernsea, a seaside town in East Yorkshire, England. The incident was reported around 3:10 p.m. on January 2, prompting a swift response from multiple agencies amid hazardous winter conditions.

HM Coastguard coordinated the effort, deploying a search and rescue helicopter and a fixed-wing aircraft to scan the area. Coastguard rescue teams from Withernsea, Hornsea and Hull joined ground operations, while the Royal National Lifeboat Institution dispatched an inshore lifeboat from Withernsea and an all-weather lifeboat from Bridlington. Humber Rescue's inshore lifeboat also provided support. Yorkshire Ambulance Service sent crews and an air ambulance to the scene, alongside Humberside Police and Humberside Fire and Rescue, which confirmed multiple emergency vehicles were positioned along the central promenade.

A spokesperson for HM Coastguard described the response: "HM Coastguard is responding to reports made at about 3:10 p.m. on January 2 of a number of people in difficulty in the water at Withernsea. An HM Coastguard...