Three young women were found dead on the English Channel early Wednesday morning after a night out at a UK beach club, according to police and reports.
The unidentified women, believed to be in their twenties and early twenties, were “fully clothed” as local authorities pulled them out of the hot water in Brighton, a popular tourist destination in East Sussex on England’s south coast, at around 5:45 a.m., the Daily Mail and The Sun reported.
“This is a tragic incident and urgent inquiries are ongoing to establish the identity of the three women and to fully understand what happened,” Sussex Police Chief Constable Adam Hays said in a statement.
“I know this affects the public, but I ask the public not to go to the scene at this time while the emergency services continue their work.”
As authorities seek to determine what led to their tragic deaths, locals say the trio had been busy at a beachside nightclub, the Quarters, hosting a weekly rave called “CU Next Tuesday,” outlets reported.
The club had a David Attenborough-themed event that was “packed” with students and revelers and spilled out onto the beach before wrapping up around 4am.
“It’s really scary,” a club worker told the Mail of the death, adding that “student nights” are always full of revelers who flock to the beach drinking and smoking.
“The police were on the ground earlier talking to the people of the group. Apparently their bags were found on each person and a coat. I saw the police on the beach looking for other personal items such as phones.”
Local staff and residents told The Nation that the club scene in the area can be “intense,” as crowds can still be seen on the beach drinking at 7 a.m. most days.
Another area said Wednesday morning brought strong winds, cold weather and rough seas.
“It’s very windy, cold and choppy in the water today so I’m not sure why there would be anyone in the sea,” the source said.
“Conditions would have been strong enough to push them close to Brighton Palace Pier.”
Police said they responded to the horror this morning after receiving reports about the welfare of one person in the sea on Brighton beach, about 50 kilometers south of London, near the Black Rocks car park on Madeira Drive.
When they arrived, two more bodies were found in the nearby sea.
“I understand the impact this terrible incident has had on the local community and at large,” said Hays.
“This is a serious investigation and we know that the public is eager to understand the full circumstances. But the most important thing for us right now is to identify these three women and the location of their families, who currently do not know that they have lost their loved ones,” he continued.
“I would ask people to be patient while we do these questions and avoid speculation while this is going on.”
