A tragic discovery was made this morning (Sunday) as a body was pulled from the sea off the coast of Shanklin. Emergency services were alerted at around 09:40 AM to reports of a possible person in the water near the Esplanade, prompting a swift response from multiple agencies.
HM Coastguard launched Bembridge RNLI’s All Weather Lifeboat, and the Coastguard Rescue 175 helicopter was dispatched from Lee-on-Solent. Local Coastguard rescue teams from Bembridge and Ventnor, along with the Isle of Wight Police, arrived quickly on the scene at the far end of Shanklin seafront.
Despite the efforts of the Isle of Wight Ambulance Service, which sent an ambulance crew, a critical care paramedic, and an operational commander to the site, the individual was pulled ashore and sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives from Newport CID have since arrived in Shanklin as investigations into the circumstances surrounding the death begin. Part of the beach has been cordoned off by the Coastguard as inquiries continue.
The cause of the incident remains unclear, and further details are expected as the investigation progresses. The local community is left in shock following the tragic events on what started as a quiet Sunday morning.
