May 14, 1:42 PM
Three Women Found Dead in Sea at Brighton as Police Launch Investigation
Emergency crews pulled the bodies from the water on Wednesday morning. Police say they are working to understand what happened.
British police have recovered the bodies of three women from the sea in Brighton and are now working to establish how the "tragic incident" happened. Sussex Police said they were called at 05:45 local time (04:45 GMT) on Wednesday over concerns about three women in the water. By mid-morning, the bodies had been pulled from the sea.
Local media reported that multiple emergency vehicles, lifeboats, and a helicopter attended the scene on the seafront on the eastern side of the city in southern England. The response was substantial, as is typical when a routine morning turns into a recovery operation.
"This is a tragic incident and fast-moving enquiries are ongoing to confirm the identities of these three women and understand exactly what has happened," Adam Hays, chief superintendent at Sussex Police, said in a statement. The police said they would provide further updates when available.
For now, the questions far outnumber the answers. How did three women end up in the sea at the same time? Were they together? Was this an accident, or something else? Police are not saying — not yet. The eastern side of Brighton's seafront is a popular area, but at 05:45 on a May morning, it would have been quiet. Few witnesses, if any.
The investigation is in its earliest stages. Forensic teams are likely to be on the beach for hours. Meanwhile, a city known for its pebbled shoreline, piers, and summer crowds is waking up to news that no seaside town wants to hear. Brighton has seen its share of tragedies, but three women pulled from the water in a single morning is not something the local force handles every day.
Police have not released the women's ages, nationalities, or any potential cause of death. They have not said whether any of the three survived long enough to reach a hospital. All of that, presumably, will come in the next update. For now, the only certainty is that three families are about to receive the worst news of their lives, and Sussex Police have a very difficult investigation ahead of them.
Written by Martina Kirchner
