A woman’s body was pulled from the water off an Isle of Wight beach this morning.
She had been spotted floating in the water off the Esplanade near Shanklin seafront around 9.30am this morning.
The coastguard pulled her from the sea before taking her to shore where she was pronounced dead.
Her identity is so far unknown.
A helicopter was pictured flying through overcast skies above a lifeboat during the recovery missing this morning.
Parts of the beach were cordoned off.
A coastguard spokesperson said: ‘HM Coastguard responded to reports of a person in the water in Shanklin this morning, September 8.
‘Alerted at around 9.30am, Bembridge and Ventnor Coastguard Rescue Teams, a lifeboat from Bembridge RNLI and the coastguard search and rescue helicopter from Lee-on-the-Solent were sent to the scene.’
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary said: ‘We were called at 9.25am today (Sunday 8 September) to a report that the body of a woman had been seen in the water at the beach in Shanklin.
‘We attended the scene alongside our Coastguard colleagues.
‘We will provide further information as soon as we are able to.’
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