Burnham-on-Sea: Search for missing man in sea continues

Searches for a man who went missing after entering the sea to rescue a woman and her dog are continuing.

The BBC understands the woman and dog entered the water from the jetty at Burnham-on-Sea at about 16:00 GMT on Sunday and managed to get out safely.

Coastguard rescue teams, the RNLI, police and BARB Search & Rescue carried out a major search for the man on Sunday evening.

Searches of the rivers Parrett and Brue resumed on Monday morning.

Coastguard and RNLI teams from Burnham-on-Sea and Weston-super-Mare were joined by a helicopter late into Sunday night.

Flood lights and heat-seeking equipment were used to search the water while crews also conducted shoreline searches.

A coastguard spokesperson said they were first alerted to the incident at around 16:00 GMT on Sunday.

"Coastguard Rescue Teams from Burnham, Weston-Super-Mare and Watchet, lifeboats from Burnham and Weston-Super-Mare RNLI and Coastguard helicopters from Lee-on-the-Solent and St Athan were sent to the scene, alongside Burnham Area Rescue Boat, Avon and Somerset Police and South Western Ambulance Service," they said.

"A woman and dog were recovered from the water and transferred into the care of the ambulance service.

"After extensive maritime searches into the night, the search for a second casualty was suspended at around 23:00 and will resume today," they added.

Emergency services have been searching in areas as far out as Stert Point.

Signage alongside and on the gated jetty says pedestrians do not have access and warns people there is a danger of falling off.

A local resident told BBC Radio Somerset the signs were a waste of time and locals often ignored them.

And resident Laura Chalmers said a lot of people were walking along the seafront and there was a "subdued and sombre" atmosphere in the town.

"Although it's quite busy, there's a lot of general members of the public out looking as well," she said.

A spokesperson for Somerset Council said: "Our thoughts are with all concerned and thanks go to the rescue services. "There have been historical reviews of the safety signage carried out by independent safety experts. We will, of course, review this again once the incident details are known."

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