Lifeboat crews and the coastguard have been searching for a missing swimmer who was reported to have gone into the sea in Brighton early this morning (Saturday 30 September).
The Brighton RNLI crew were called out at about 7.45am – quarter of an hour after the swimmer was seen entering the sea just east of the Palace Pier.
The coastguard helicopter was also searching the area before being diverted to the MPI Discovery – one of the vessels installing turbines for the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm.
A worker on the vessel is being flown to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.
A similar medical evacuation was carried out last month although no details were available as to whether the evacuation was for injury or illness.
The Shoreham lifeboat was also called out in support this morning.
Sussex Police were supporting the search in Brighton from the shore, with medics standing by.
After just over three hours of searching, and with no sign of the missing swimmer, the search was called off.
The search this morning was the third call-out for the Brighton RNLI since the crew moved to their new base at Brighton Marina last Sunday (24 September).
