A BOY drowned on a school trip after getting into trouble in the sea at Beauty Beach.
The unnamed boy, 17, believed to be from London, was pulled from the water at a spot popular with celebrities near the Sussex coast.
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A teenager believed to be from London has tragically died on a popular beach
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The boy was airlifted to the hospital as his classmates watched
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Fellow students were said to be visibly upset
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The wide beach is popular in the summer, but tragedies have happened before
He is believed to have been one of around 50 students on the bus trip to West Wittering on Tuesday morning.
Emergency services were rushed after reports of a child in difficulty around 1 p.m. on Tuesday.
Other children, believed to be his classmates, were visibly upset on the beach after he was airlifted to hospital.
A Sussex Police spokesman said: “The emergency services and HM Coastguard were called to concerns for the welfare of a boy in the sea off West Wittering Beach at around 1pm on Tuesday 2nd July.
“The 17-year-old was taken by helicopter to the hospital, where unfortunately his death was confirmed.
“His next of kin have been informed.
“The investigation is ongoing to find out all the circumstances of the incident.”
Officers broke the news to his parents on Tuesday afternoon.
An ambulance spokesman confirmed that the boy was taken directly to hospital by the Coast Guard.
An eyewitness told of the “horrific” scenes as the tragedy unfolded on Tuesday.
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Speaking to The Argus, a witness said: “I’ve been on the beach since about 1pm. All of a sudden a lot of police and coastguards turned up.
“I could see a lot of upset children and people from what looked like a school trip.
“It was absolutely horrible. The tide was out by then.”
A spokesman for the West Wittering Estate added: “We are deeply saddened to report that a 17-year-old boy drowned yesterday after having difficulties in the water.
“Rescuers deployed their equipment, including jet skis, to rush to the scene.
“Police and emergency services quickly arrived with members of HM Coastguard, before the young man was airlifted to hospital where he sadly later died.
“His next of kin have been informed and our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time.”
West Wittering’s rolling sand dunes and wide beaches are popular all year round.
The area is also known for its celebrity connections.
Home to superstar actress Kate Winslet, locals have previously included names such as British actor and singer Michael Ball, actor Nicholas Lyndhurst and Rolling Stones frontman Keith Richards.
According to the local tourist board, a million beachgoers flock to this area every year.
Up to 20,000 people visit West Wittering Beach on any given day during peak summer, according to their website.
Because of its popularity, there are many cases of swimmers getting into trouble at sea.
The website adds that 190 people each year need the help of lifeguards in the water via a lifeguard or jet ski rescue.
The West Wittering Tragedy
The boy is not the first teenager to find himself in fatal trouble on the beach in recent years.
In September 2023, Ryan Baldry, 19, went missing in West Wittering after going swimming with friends.
His body was later found on Hayling Island, halfway between the beach and Portsmouth.
Tragedy also happened in May 2012, when another man (25) drowned while trying to save a young girl.
Officers said the man – later identified as Plamen Petkov, from south London – pulled the five-year-old to safety, but it cost him his life.
A British citizen originally from Bulgaria, he was posthumously awarded Bulgaria’s highest civilian honor for his “self-sacrifice and bravery”.
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Emergency services went to the scene
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There have been a number of tragedies in West Wittering in recent years
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Source: HIS Education