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Clacton: Missing swimmer search gets scaled down

News imageBBC/Richard Smith Clacton Coastguard Search and Rescue TeamBBC/Richard Smith
Searches for the missing person continued on Wednesday in the sea at the seaside resort on the Tendring peninsula

A search for a missing sea swimmer who got into difficulties with friends has been officially scaled down.

Emergency services were called out in Clacton-on-Sea in Essex just before 11:00 BST on Tuesday.

Searches for the man, 21, continued until midnight and resumed again on Wednesday morning.

Five swimmers were rescued near to the pier but Essex Police confirmed efforts had now been made to contact the missing man's family about the news.

Essex Police said: "We have received notification from the coastguard that the search operation in Clacton has been scaled down."

The East of England Ambulance Service said the five people were taken to hospital.

The popular beach was reopened after being cordoned-off when the search and rescue began.

News imageNigel Brown Lifeboat at Clacton PierNigel Brown
Lifeboats and the resort's beach patrol team were assisting on Tuesday to try and find the missing person in the North Sea
News imageBBC/Richard Smith Clacton Coastguard Search and Rescue Team near rocks on the beachBBC/Richard Smith
It is suspected that the group of swimmers went into the sea at low tide before being swept towards Clacton Pier
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