August 15, 2022 9.56 am This story is over 19 months old

Coastguard “heartfelt condolences” after teen dies in sea in Skegness

“Sometimes, despite all our best efforts, not everyone is rescued”

By Local Democracy Reporter

Coastguard workers have expressed their devastation as a teenage boy was found dead after being recovered from the sea in Skegness over the weekend.

The incident saw emergency services receive a report of a child under the age of 16 in the sea at Skegness, at around 6.15pm on Saturday, August 13.

Unfortunately, despite an extensive search operation carried out by police and HM Coastguard Skegness, the body of a boy matching this description was recovered at around 11.30pm.

The coastguard said its “hearts are heavy” upon hearing the news, describing the difficulty of somebody not being rescued on the Lincolnshire seaside.

A spokesperson for HM Coastguard Skegness said: “Sometimes, despite all our best efforts, not everyone is rescued and it hurts our hearts. It’s why we do what we do day after day. It’s what drives us to keep on searching and to keep responding when things go wrong at the coast.

“We searched for hours with our fellow coastguards and our friends and colleagues from the RNLI and the police to find the teenager after he was reported missing.

“Although he was found, it was sadly a tragic outcome and we have no words other than to offer our heartfelt condolences to those who are grieving the loss of someone they loved so very much.”

It came at a busy time for Lincolnshire Police officers in Skegness, with ten children reported missing in the space of just two hours over the weekend – either from the arcades, beach or water itself.