Man dies after falling overboard from fishing boat in Hampshire with coastguard conducting aerial searches

Coastguards conducted intense searches yesterday after receiving reports of someone in the water off the coast of Bembridge, Isle of Wight. Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 175, based in Lee-on-the-Solent, was scrambled to conduct aerial searches.

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A small fishing boat – 12ft (4m) – was spotted drifting in the water and had come ashore at Whitecliff Bay. Bembridge RNLI launched all available All Weather and Inshore lifeboats at roughly 2pm.

Volunteer crew searched the area surrounding the bay. A man was discovered and was pulled from the sea by crews.

He was then rushed to hospital for treatment, but despite the best efforts of the emergency services and medical personnel, he was pronounced dead. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said: ‘The death is not being treated as suspicious and the man's next of kin have been informed.’