New Year's Day swimmer dies near Brighton pier
BBCA swimmer has died after getting into difficulty in the sea near Brighton's Palace Pier.
The man was pulled from the water west of the pier at about 10:30 GMT on New Year's Day.
The 51-year-old man from Kettering, Northamptonshire, was given medical treatment on the shore but died at the scene.
Sussex Police say the man's death is not being treated as suspicious and his next of kin have been informed.
A spokesperson from HM Coastguard said it was first alerted to "an incident involving a male swimmer in difficulty in the water" at about 10:10.
"Coastguard rescue teams from Shoreham and Newhaven were sent alongside Brighton RNLI inshore lifeboat," the spokesperson said.
The coroner has been informed.
Council officials in Brighton had previously warned about the risks of swimming in the sea over the festive period, which is a tradition in a number of seaside towns.
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