UPDATE: A tragic incident at Central Promenade in Withernsea has left two dead as urgent rescue efforts continue for a missing 15-year-old girl. The girl was swept away by powerful waves earlier today, prompting a desperate attempt by locals to save her.
At approximately 3:15 PM, witnesses reported seeing the girl go under the water after being overpowered by waves while descending the Pier Towers concrete steps. Eyewitness accounts reveal that her parents and several bystanders rushed into the treacherous waters to help her. Tragically, a 67-year-old man who dove in to rescue her was pulled out unconscious and pronounced dead at the scene.
Officials from Humberside Police confirmed that a second body was recovered later on Friday evening, January 2, while a third individual remains missing. Search operations were temporarily halted at 12:30 AM on Saturday but will resume at first light, according to a statement from HM Coastguard.
A local café owner, Paul Whitehead, recounted the scene, stating, “Around 3 PM, a girl, around 15 years old, went down the Pier Towers concrete steps and the seas are so rough, she got washed away.” His staff attempted to assist by throwing a life ring, but despite the girl grasping it, she was struck by a wave and lost her grip.
Witness Karen Higgs, 66, described the chaotic moment, saying, “I looked and I went across… There was somebody in the water… going in and out with the waves. We were all shouting at her to catch [the life ring]. She just didn’t.”
Emergency services, including the Yorkshire Ambulance Service and Humberside Fire and Rescue, remain active in the area. Rescue teams from Withernsea, Hornsea, and Hull, along with an RNLI inshore lifeboat from Withernsea, were deployed but faced challenges due to “horrendous conditions and three-metre waves,” as reported by local charity Hornsea Inshore Rescue.
Local authorities have urged the public to avoid the area to facilitate ongoing rescue operations. The circumstances surrounding both deaths are not believed to be suspicious, according to police reports.
As the community grapples with this heartbreaking event, the focus remains on locating the missing girl. Efforts will resume at dawn, with coastguard rescue teams poised to search the area thoroughly.
Stay tuned for further updates as this urgent situation develops.
