Four people were reported in difficulty in the water near Shoreham Harbour on Tuesday afternoon, prompting a huge emergency response in Shoreham. Sussex Police said a section of the A259 in Shoreham was closed as the incident remained ongoing, and the public was urged to stay clear of the area.
South East Coast Ambulance Service said it was called shortly after 15:00 BST to reports of four people in need of medical attention after getting into difficulty in the water near Shoreham Harbour. It said a number of ambulance resources were at the scene.
Shoreham Harbour response
HM Coastguard said it responded to an incident reported at Shoreham at about 2.45pm. It said an HM Coastguard helicopter was sent, along with Littlehampton, Shoreham and Newhaven Coastguard Rescue Teams, and an RNLI lifeboat from Shoreham.
An RNLI spokesperson said Shoreham RNLI were tasked by HM Coastguard at approximately 3pm on Tuesday 18 August. Sussex Police and South East Coast Ambulance Service also attended the incident near Shoreham Port.
Callum French on scene
News reporter Callum French said he saw helicopters flying overhead and ambulances heading towards Shoreham Port. He said there was a lot of traffic and the road was closed for a bit.
French also said the sea was pretty rough because of the high winds, despite recent warm weather. That left the response focused on a short stretch of coast where multiple emergency teams were working at once.
A259 closure
The closure on the A259 affected travel through Shoreham while emergency crews dealt with the incident. Sussex Police’s instruction to stay clear of the area pointed to a live response, not a finished rescue, and the next outcome for the four people had not been stated.
