An 18-year-old man has died after getting into difficulty in the sea in East Sussex.
Sussex Police said emergency services were called to Camber Sands beach just before 7pm on Sunday following reports three people had got into difficulty after entering the water.
The force said a large search operation took place and two of the three people, a 16-year-old boy and 24-year-old man, safely got out of the water.
But a third person, a man aged 18, was pulled from the water at around 7.30pm.
Sussex Police said: “Sadly, despite lifesaving attempts by paramedics at the scene, he was pronounced deceased a short while later.
“His next of kin have been informed, and our thoughts are with them.
“Inquiries in the area remain ongoing and an increased emergency presence is visible at this time.”
The three were known to each other and had travelled to the beach together from London, police added.
“There are no suspicious circumstances and this will now be a coronial matter,” a spokesperson said.
It comes as temperatures are set to reach 36C in parts of the country this week as the UK faces its fifth heatwave of the summer.
Charities have issued warnings over the potential dangers of cooling off in the sea, rivers, and canals after a number of deaths during the summer’s hot spells. The RNLI has urged young people to stop and think around open water – with hidden dangers posed by underwater objects, tides, currents and water temperatures well below air temperatures.
Amber heat health alerts issued by the UK Health Security Agency are in place for the East Midlands, West Midlands, South East, South West, East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, and London.
The alerts continue until 9pm on Tuesday, but may well be extended as the hot weather continues.
Meanwhile, the Met Office is considering issuing rare extreme heat warnings ahead of the scorching temperatures forecast later in the week.
More than 25 million people have restrictions on water use, the Environment Agency said, with millions under hosepipe bans, including all South East Water and Thames Water customers.
Half of England and all of Wales have been plunged into drought and more regions could be declared when officials meet at the National Drought Group later on Monday.
So far, the extreme weather of summer 2026 has included two record-breaking heatwaves in May and June that led to more than 2,800 excess deaths.
