Brighton Beach: Council's 'moving slopes' warning before tragic deaths of 3 women
Police say that the three women pulled from the sea near Madeira Drive have been identified.
Brighton and Hove City Council warned about sharp drops in the sea just months before three women tragically lost their lives. Police say that they believe they have identified three women whose bodies were recovered from the sea off Brighton beach.
An investigation into how the women came to be in the water is ongoing, but sources indicate that one theory is the women may have waded out to sea from the beach and stumbled off a shingle shelf where the seabed descends sharply into deep water. The council issued a statement last November, saying “These slopes shift with tides and storms, and they can be harder to climb than they look.”
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A coastguard source told the Daily Mail: “The shoreline off Brighton Beach slopes steeply and many people don't realise the danger. You don't have to go far out at all before there's a big drop-off and you go from knee-high water to chest-high water.
“Swimmers can be pulled out of their depth very quickly from the backwash and with pebbles shifting underfoot it becomes difficult to maintain your balance, especially when you're trying to climb back up the slope with waves crashing against you.
Chief Superintendent Adam Hays said: “This is an utterly heartbreaking tragedy, and my thoughts are with the loved ones of these three young women after their devastating loss.
“They will remain at the forefront of our minds as we search for the answers their families, and the wider public, desperately seek.
“This is a sensitive investigation that includes a number of hypotheses, and it would not be appropriate to speculate as we to continue to gather evidence.
“I would once again ask for the public’s patience while we establish the full facts, which will be shared publicly as soon as we are able.”
Police and coastguard officials were stationed along the seafront and on the shingle beach on Wednesday, where a lifeboat could be seen out at sea and a helicopter was flying overhead.
The sea appeared choppy, with waves crashing against the marina wall in windy conditions.
Sussex Police confirmed the beach reopened later in the evening and officers had left the scene.
Reacting to the latest police update, Brighton and Hove City Council leader Bella Sankey said she sent her sincere condolences on behalf the city to the women’s family members and loved ones.
“We are all devastated by what has happened on the seafront,” she said.
“For three young women to lose their lives off the coast of our city is harrowing and deeply distressing.
“I want to pay tribute to all the emergency services for their swift and collaborative response, including Sussex Police, the RNLI, the Coastguard and our seafront team.”
She said that city bosses were reviewing safety measures following the deaths.
“As a seaside city, we know how much people value our beaches, and we take our responsibility for safety extremely seriously,” Ms Sankey said.
“Lifeguard provision, patrols and safety measures are in place, and we are reviewing other safety measures to ensure we are doing everything we can.
“While we always work to make the seafront as safe as possible, tragedies like this are a stark reminder of the challenges involved.”
Hove and Portslade MP Peter Kyle said that it was a “sobering and heartbreaking reminder” that families, neighbours and communities are what is important.
“We will all be working with emergency services, tourism services and the seafront office to further promote messages about the risks around water,” he said on Wednesday.
