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Sea search resumes for man swept into sea in Blackpool Man swept into Blackpool sea 'unlikely' to survive
(about 2 hours later)
Emergency services have resumed their search for a man who was swept into the sea in Blackpool. It is "highly unlikely" a man swept into the sea in gale-force winds in Blackpool has survived, coastguards have said.
The 41-year-old was reported to have been walking his dog along the South Pier with another man when they ended up in the water shortly after midnight. The 41-year-old was reported to have been walking his dog near the South Pier with another man when they ended up in the water shortly after midnight.
The second man was able to get to safety and raise the alarm. An overnight sea search involving two helicopters, lifeboat crews and the RAF was called off at 03:30 GMT.
An overnight search involving lifeboat crews, coastguard, the police helicopter and the RAF resumed just after first light. HM Coastguard said a shoreline search for the man's body was continuing.
Stuart Atkinson, watch manager at Crosby Coastguard station, said: "We received a call at 12:13 GMT from Lancashire Police reporting that a male was in the water near the South Pier at Blackpool. Emergency services were called at 00:13 GMT following reports that a man was in the water near the South Pier at Blackpool.
Life ring thrown Sea search terminated
"The area was searched and unfortunately we didn't find the 41-year-old male at that time, but we are carrying out a second search at the present time. A major search was launched involving Blackpool and Lytham RNLI lifeboat crews, the police helicopter, coastguard rescue units and the search and rescue helicopter from RAF Valley on Anglesey.
"We do believe a life ring was thrown to him and a football. We have located the football but not the life ring." A football thrown to the man was recovered, although a life ring that was also thrown into the water was still missing.
Mr Atkinson said the search operation was hampered last night due to very strong, westerly gale-force winds. Stuart Atkinson, watch manager at Crosby Coastguard station, said the strong, westerly gale-force winds made the operation difficult and the sea search was called off at 03:30 GMT.
"As you can imagine, westerly winds are aimed straight at the sea shore at Blackpool and it made it quite difficult for the lifeboat crews to search," he said. He added that the conditions, water temperature and length of time in the water made it "highly unlikely" that the man could have survived.
The current search was focusing on an area of the Irish Sea around the South Pier and the Blackpool sea wall. "From the information we received, we must unfortunately presume the man went into the water and there is nothing to suggest at this stage that he made it to shore," Mr Atkinson said.
The search was carried out by coastguard rescue units, the local RNLI lifeboats from Blackpool and Lytham St Annes and the police helicopter. "Therefore, the sea search has now been terminated and we are now in the process of searching the shoreline for a body."
The air sea rescue helicopter from RAF Valley was also involved. A search of the coast and beaches was focusing on an area around the South Pier and the Blackpool sea wall.