Man who fell from a yacht at Langstone Harbour is still missing after major search

A large-scale search and rescue operation was launched by HM Coastguard on Saturday, May 12, after Damien Kessell, 29, fell overboard at about 8.30am.

Units from Hayling and Portsmouth Coastguard Rescue Teams, Portsmouth and Hayling RNLI lifeboats and the HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter, based at Lee-on-Solent, alongside Hampshire police, were involved in the search for Mr Kessell.

Portsmouth RNLI said its crew were ‘very disheartened’ not to be able to find Mr Kessell after an in-depth four hour search.

A spokesperson for HM Coastguard said: ‘An extensive and thorough search was carried out with nothing found.’

Mr Kessell’s family have made missing person posters for him.

They said he was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans and blue Adidas trainers.

He is described as 5ft 8ins tall, slim, tall, and as having dark brown hair and blue eyes.

According to the poster, his green Parka jacket was also lost in the water.

Hampshire police is now investigating.

A spokesman from the force said: ‘We can confirm that we received a report that a 29-year-old man from Portsmouth had fallen into the water at Langstone Harbour around 8.30am on Saturday, May 12.

‘Officers from Hampshire Constabulary joined a search for the man but he was not found.

‘Officers are carrying out a missing person investigation and enquiries are ongoing.

‘Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting 44180175699.’

According to the Portsmouth RNLI, a fisherman alerted the emergency services to the incident.

Aaron Gent, who is a crewman with the RNLI, spoke of his colleagues’ involvement in the incident, and said: ‘They were tasked to reports of a man overboard at the harbour’s entrance.

‘A fisherman called it in and both of our boats were launched immediately.

‘A person in the water is the most serious thing we can be tasked to.

We sent our Portsmouth in-shore lifeboat and our other lifeboat and the crew conducted a four-hour hour search for the missing man.’

Mr Gent’s colleagues escorted the yacht back to safe mooring, and ensured everyone else on board was safe and well.

He added: ‘Everyone else on board was very distressed.

‘Between us, the coastguard helicopter, and the Hayling Island RNLI, we conducted a very detailed search.

‘The entrance to the harbour was searched in-depth as well as the shorelines both sides of the harbour.

‘The RNLI exists to save lives at sea, and it’s very disheartening not to be able to find someone.’