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NEED TO KNOW
- The bodies of three women were recovered from the ocean near the beach in Brighton, England in the early hours of Wednesday, May 13
- Emergency services, including lifeboats and a helicopter, responded to the scene alongside police and ambulance crews
- Authorities are working to identify the women and determine what led to the tragic incident
The bodies of three women have been recovered from the ocean near the coastal city of Brighton, England.
Emergency services were alerted to the incident at around 5:45 a.m. local time on Wednesday, May 13, after they received reports about the welfare of three women in the ocean, according to a release from Sussex Police.
The bodies of three women were later recovered from the waters of the English Channel, around 50 miles south of London.
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“This is a tragic incident and fast-moving enquiries are ongoing to confirm the identities of these three women and understand exactly what has happened,” Chief Superintendent Adam Hays said in the release.
“I know this is concerning for the community, but I would ask the public to stay away from the scene at this time while emergency services continue their work,” he added. “We will provide further updates as soon as they are available.”
The U.K. Coastguard told PEOPLE in a statement it sent a helicopter and deployed rescue teams alongside crews from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), which also sent three lifeboats.
Sussex Police and the South East Coast Ambulance Service also attended the scene.
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The RNLI told PEOPLE in a statement: “Brighton Lifeboat and Shoreham All-weather Lifeboat launched this morning around 6 a.m. Our lifeboats have now been stood down and we’ll be directing any further enquiries to Sussex Police.”
The BBC reported that a large police presence is in the area, including a cordon had been set up by the local authorities.
PEOPLE has reached out to Sussex Police for further information.
