Teenager drowns at sea after rescue effort off Blackpool pier
A 14-year-old boy has died after getting into difficulties while swimming near Blackpool’s central pier.
The boy, believed to be from Northampton, was pulled out of the sea after a three-hour search. Members of the public spotted the teenager in trouble in the water at 3.40pm and alerted the emergency services. The rescue operation by lifeboat and coastguard teams also saw a police helicopter and RAF R122 rescue helicopter scrambled.
The boy was recovered from the water near the central pier at about 6.30pm. Paramedics tried to resuscitate him before he was taken to Blackpool Victoria hospital. He was pronounced dead at 7.50pm.
Lancashire police said: “Very, very sadly the 14-year-old boy brought out from the water has been pronounced dead.”
The teenager was playing with a large inflatable ring with another boy, also believed to be 14, when he disappeared from sight.
A spokesman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: “The two teenagers were out with a large rubber ring in the water when they got into difficulty. One of the boys managed to get to shore, but the other was seen to be in trouble. He was last seen being covered by a wave and was then lost from sight.”
As well as the two helicopters, the search involved Blackpool beach patrol, Lytham St Annes coastguard rescue team, and all three Blackpool RNLI lifeboats.
The coastguard said it received several 999 calls reporting the boy in difficulty. Brian George, a watch officer with Liverpool coastguard, said the teenager was pulled out of the water by the coastguard after he was spotted by a member of the public near the pier.
“Although the incident happened at central pier we conducted a thorough search of the area from north pier to well south of south pier, up to a considerable distance offshore,” he said.
George said the boy’s family, believed to be on holiday at the resort, were with police during the search.
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