Alert over swimmer at beach where five died

A SEARCH-and-rescue operation got under way after a swimmer was reported missing at a beach where five men died last week.

Three lifeboats, a rescue helicopter and police officers were all involved in the operation at Camber Sands, near Rye, in East Sussex.

It was prompted by a call from a worker in the beach office just before 9.30am who said a woman who had entered the water 40 minutes earlier had not returned.

Sussex Police said it had also been contacted by a member of the public who had seen a pair of flip-flops next to the sea.

However, the operation was called off at about noon yesterday after the swimmer was found safe and well.

A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesman said: “It’s a great relief this person has been found safe and well. There was concern as this is a dangerous beach and lifeguards were not on yet on duty at the time the swimmer was missed.”

On Wednesday, five men – all in their teens or 20s – died at the beach, prompting authorities to deploy lifeguards on the normally unpatrolled seafront for the busy bank holiday weekend.

Kenugen Saththiyanathan, 18, known as Ken, his brother Kobikanthan Saththiyanathan, 22, known as Kobi, from Erith, south-east London, and their friends Nitharsan Ravi, 22, of Plumstead, Inthushan Sriskantharasa, 23, of Grays, Essex, and Gurushanth Srithavarajah, 27, of Welling, south-east London, died after visiting the beach.