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Man 'swept into sea' in Blackpool Sea search resumes for man swept into sea in Blackpool
(35 minutes later)
Emergency services have been searching overnight for a man who was swept into the sea in Blackpool. Emergency services have resumed their search for a man who was swept into the sea in Blackpool.
The incident happened at about midnight when two men on the steps of South Pier were hit by a wave. One managed to get out of the water and raise the alarm. The 41-year-old was reported to have been walking his dog along the South Pier with another man when they ended up in the water shortly after midnight.
Two helicopters, three lifeboats, coastguards, police officers, firefighters and paramedics have been searching for the missing man. The second man was able to get to safety and raise the alarm.
The search was scaled down at 04:00 GMT and is due to start again. An overnight search involving lifeboat crews, coastguard, the police helicopter and the RAF resumed just after first light.
Stuart Atkinson, watch manager at Crosby Coastguard station, said: "We received a call at 12:13 GMT from Lancashire Police reporting that a male was in the water near the South Pier at Blackpool.
Life ring thrown
"The area was searched and unfortunately we didn't find the 41-year-old male at that time, but we are carrying out a second search at the present time.
"We do believe a life ring was thrown to him and a football. We have located the football but not the life ring."
Mr Atkinson said the search operation was hampered last night due to very strong, westerly gale-force winds.
"As you can imagine, westerly winds are aimed straight at the sea shore at Blackpool and it made it quite difficult for the lifeboat crews to search," he said.
The current search was focusing on an area of the Irish Sea around the South Pier and the Blackpool sea wall.
The search was carried out by coastguard rescue units, the local RNLI lifeboats from Blackpool and Lytham St Annes and the police helicopter.
The air sea rescue helicopter from RAF Valley was also involved.