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| Version 6 | Version 7 |
|---|---|
| Three bodies found at Beachy Head | Three bodies found at Beachy Head |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The bodies of a man, woman and young boy have been recovered from about 400ft down Beachy Head in East Sussex. | The bodies of a man, woman and young boy have been recovered from about 400ft down Beachy Head in East Sussex. |
| The coastguard saw two bodies at about 2020 BST on Sunday, but the search did not begin until first light on Monday. | The coastguard saw two bodies at about 2020 BST on Sunday, but the search did not begin until first light on Monday. |
| The boy, who was thought to be about five years old, was found inside a rucksack, a coastguard station officer who attended the scene said. | The boy, who was thought to be about five years old, was found inside a rucksack, a coastguard station officer who attended the scene said. |
| The identities of the three people have not yet been confirmed, but they are not thought to be local. | The identities of the three people have not yet been confirmed, but they are not thought to be local. |
| Sussex Police said the deaths were not being treated as suspicious but they were "keeping an open mind until the full facts have been established". | Sussex Police said the deaths were not being treated as suspicious but they were "keeping an open mind until the full facts have been established". |
| The bodies were first spotted by a member of the coastguard who was on a routine patrol with a cliff-top chaplain. | The bodies were first spotted by a member of the coastguard who was on a routine patrol with a cliff-top chaplain. |
| Soft toys | Soft toys |
| Eastbourne Coastguard station officer Stuart McNab, who was one of the first to be winched down the cliff, said he found the child's body in a rucksack along with a second rucksack filled with toys. | Eastbourne Coastguard station officer Stuart McNab, who was one of the first to be winched down the cliff, said he found the child's body in a rucksack along with a second rucksack filled with toys. |
| He said: "The bag was closed when I got to it. I saw what I thought was a doll's head, but on closer examination it was a child." | He said: "The bag was closed when I got to it. I saw what I thought was a doll's head, but on closer examination it was a child." |
| He said the second rucksack contained toys, including a tractor and soft toys. | He said the second rucksack contained toys, including a tractor and soft toys. |
| The bodies were recovered by a coastguard team under the supervision of police officers by 1400 BST. | |
| The area has been cordoned off and coastguards, police and volunteers from the chaplaincy team have remained at the scene. | The area has been cordoned off and coastguards, police and volunteers from the chaplaincy team have remained at the scene. |
| Ch Insp Dick Coates said that a car, believed to be a Volkswagen or caravanette, had been recovered from the cliff-top car park and was being examined by officers. | Ch Insp Dick Coates said that a car, believed to be a Volkswagen or caravanette, had been recovered from the cliff-top car park and was being examined by officers. |
| The cliffs at Beachy Head reach up to about 600ft (180m) high and are a notorious suicide spot. | The cliffs at Beachy Head reach up to about 600ft (180m) high and are a notorious suicide spot. |
| Mr McNab said an average of 20 people jump from the cliffs at Beachy Head every year. | Mr McNab said an average of 20 people jump from the cliffs at Beachy Head every year. |
| He added there had been cases of multiple suicides before but they generally tended to involve elderly people. | He added there had been cases of multiple suicides before but they generally tended to involve elderly people. |
| Beachy Head Chaplaincy Team was set up in 2004 to try to prevent suicides. | Beachy Head Chaplaincy Team was set up in 2004 to try to prevent suicides. |