A major multi-agency search and rescue operation is in progress off the Yorkshire coast after two people were reported missing in the sea near Withernsea.
Emergency Services Launch Major Response
Officials were first alerted to reports of individuals in difficulty in the water at 3.10pm on Friday, 2 January 2026. In response, HM Coastguard has coordinated a significant effort, deploying a search and rescue helicopter and a fixed-wing aircraft to scour the area.
The operation has mobilised a wide range of emergency and lifesaving teams, including:
- Local coastguard rescue teams
- RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) lifeboats
- Yorkshire Ambulance Service and an air ambulance
- Humberside Police
- Humberside Fire and Rescue Service
Dangerous Conditions Hamper Rescue Efforts
The search is being conducted in challenging and perilous sea conditions. Hornsea Inshore Rescue, a local independent volunteer group, reported they were called to assist but were initially unable to launch their lifeboat.
In a statement, they cited "horrendous conditions and 3 metre waves breaking on our slipway which would knock the tractor and trailer sideways off the ramp." The group had earlier called off a planned New Year's Day public swim due to the unsafe sea state, warning the conditions were not suitable for anyone to enter the water.
Humberside Fire and Rescue Service has urged the public to avoid the Central Promenade area in Withernsea to allow emergency vehicles clear access, advising people to take extra care if travel in the vicinity is essential.
Ongoing Search Operation
The race to find the two missing people continues as daylight fades. All available assets from the coastguard, lifeboat institutions, and emergency services remain committed to the search. This is a developing story, and further updates are expected as the operation progresses.
