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Sea and air search for fisherman 'No hope' for missing fisherman
(about 7 hours later)
A sea and air search is under way for a missing fisherman, thought to be about 40 years old, after his boat was found adrift off West Sussex. Coastguards say there is "no possibility" that a fisherman missing after his boat was found adrift off West Sussex will be found alive.
The 18ft vessel which had sailed out of Littlehampton, was spotted off Bognor Regis just before midday on Saturday. An intensive sea and air search was launched for the skipper of the 18ft vessel. But as night fell the search was called off.
Three RNLI lifeboats from Littlehampton and Selsey and a Coastguard search and rescue helicopter from Lee-on-Solent are searching for the fisherman. The man, thought to be in his 40s, sailed out of Littlehampton Harbour on Saturday morning.
Two Royal Navy warships, HMS Severn and Tracker, are also helping the search. His empty boat was spotted two miles off the coast at 1143 GMT.
A spokeswoman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said the boat was a one-man vessel which was found with its nets still cast. A spokeswoman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: "It was quite an intensive search operation but unfortunately nothing was found.
The boat has been towed back to Littlehampton. "The coastguards will probably do a shoreline search in the morning, but there would be no possibility of survival after such a long time in the water at this time of year."
Coastguards were alerted after another fisherman who left the harbour at the same time became concerned when the man failed to return to shore.
Three RNLI lifeboats from Littlehampton and Selsey and a coastguard search and rescue helicopter from Lee-on-Solent were scrambled.
Two Royal Navy warships, HMS Severn and Tracker, also joined the search.
The one-man vessel, which was found with its nets still cast, was towed back to Littlehampton.