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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Guardian staff and agency

Body found in search for man reported overboard off Kent coast

The distress call was received by the coastguard early on Saturday morning.
The distress call was received by the coastguard early on Saturday morning. Photograph: Gus Carter/PA

A body has been found after an extensive search operation off the coast of Kent.

Lifeboats and the coastguard helicopter had been scouring the sea near Margate harbour after reports of a man overboard, HM Coastguard said.

HMS Westminster was also believed to have responded to a relay call, and is in the area, according to ship-tracking data.

The search operation came as the UK braced for the arrival of Storm Dennis, just one week after Storm Ciara.

A distress call was received by the coastguard at 5.41am and a search of the area began.

A coastguard spokesman said: “At around 1pm, after many hours of searching, a body was sadly found in the water by the RNLI Margate lifeboat and has been brought to shore.”

The distress call is believed to have come from B Gas Margrethe, a 99-metre Maltese tanker that had been anchored off the coast of Margate.

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