FIVE people were pulled from the sea today with a sixth still missing and the body of a teen pulled from the Thames as Britain sizzles in a heatwave.
Police swooped on Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, after the group got into difficulty in the water.
Five people were pulled from the sea in Essex
The coastguard confirmed five people have been rescued from the sea but a sixth person is still being searched for.
They said: “HM Coastguard is currently responding to an incident at Clacton Pier following a report of multiple people in the water.
“Five people have been rescued with the search still ongoing for a sixth male.”
It is understood the group were cooling off near the pier when they got caught up in the current and were pulled away from the beach.
Essex Police confirmed they are dealing with a “serious” incident but have not released further details.
It comes after the heatwave claimed over a dozen victims as temperatures soared across the UK.
Brits have been warned to “take it easy” in the heat and avoid cooling off in rivers or ponds.
A 14-year-old boy is among the heatwave victims after getting into difficulty in the River Thames in Richmond, South West London, yesterday.
He was pulled from the water at around 3pm today by specialist officers with his next of kin now aware.
Two teen boys were also rushed to hospital today after being rescued from the sea at Blackpool.
The older lad, 14, is in a critical but stable condition but the 12-year-old has been described as “poorly”.
Police also confirmed a man aged in his 20s has died after being pulled from water at the Cotswold Water Park yesterday.
It came after the body of 16-year-old Sean Norbert Anyanwu was pulled from Bray Lake in Maidenhead, Berkshire.
His family said in a statement: “Sean Norbert Anyanwu was the light of the family and he was everything we could have asked for.
“We are devastated by his loss and we would ask for our privacy to be respected while we grieve.”
Sean’s headteacher at Cox Green School in Maidenhead, Danny Edwards, added: “As a school community, our thoughts and heart-felt condolences go to Sean’s family and friends, I’m sure that words cannot adequately express the shock and agony they must be experiencing.
“As a parent myself, I cannot begin to express the utter heartbreak felt.
“Sean was a kind-hearted pupil with a close friendship group and had worked tirelessly in his recent GCSE exams to achieve his very best.”
A 13-year-old boy also tragically died after he got into trouble in the River Tyne near Ovingham, Northumbria, on Sunday.
Robert Hattersley’s heartbroken family said he was “so kind and loving” and “brought a smile to so many people’s faces”.
Provisional Met Office figures show the the mercury has nudged 40.2C at Heathrow today – the first time on record the temperature has exceeded 40C in the UK.
Fires have erupted across the UK today with firefighters tackling a large grass blaze in Dartford, Kent.
Smoke was seen billowing across the A2, while in Croydon, South London, flames ripped through a park.
There is also a fire in Wennington, Greater London, near a housing estate.
The multiple blazes have caused London Fire Brigade to declare a major incident.
The sizzling heatwave is due to end tomorrow with yellow warnings for thunderstorms across London and parts of the South East.
One person is still in the water
The group got into difficulty near the pier
Police are still on the scene
Robert Hattersley’s family have paid tribute to the tragic teen
A 16-year-old boy died after he got into difficulty in Maidenhead, Berkshire
