The body of a woman has been found after police were called to reports of a person in difficulty in the water at a seaside resort.
Emergency services descended on the beach in Chalkwell, Southend, in Essex this morning after worried callers reported concerns for the welfare of a woman in the water at around 10.15am.
Essex Police, Southend Coastguard, the air ambulance and the RNLI all remain at the scene, where police have confirmed a woman has died.
A helicopter was seen circling the area during a frantic rescue operation.
In a statement, police said officers arrived to find that the woman had tragically died.
Essex Police said: "We are on the scene of an incident in Chalkwell.
"We were called by colleagues in the coastguard to concerns for the welfare of a woman in the water at 10.15am this morning, Monday 7 June.
"We arrived and sadly found a woman had died.
"We are at the scene alongside colleagues in the ambulance service and will issue a further update when we can."
A Coastguard spokesman told Essex Live: "A 999 call was received at 10.10am today (June 7) following an incident at Chalkwell Beach.
"The Southend Coastguard Rescue Team, Southend RNLI lifeboat, Essex Police and the East of England Ambulance Service attended."
