Camber Sands: Missing swimmer in East Sussex found 'safe and well'

The search came four days after five young men died at the beach

Coastal officers drive towards a beach patrol tent on Camber Sands (Getty Images )

A search-and-rescue operation launched for a missing swimmer at Camber Sands, has been called off after she found "safe and well".

A member of the public contacted police and the coast guard after "a female was seen diving into the sea" at the East Sussex beach at around 8am on Sunday, a Sussex Police spokeswoman said.

Concern was raised after an abandoned pair of flip-flops were seen next to the sea at the same location, police added.

The RNLI, police and coast guards launched a major operation just after 9am, but it was found to be a false alarm after the woman identified herself to a coast guard, the BBC reports.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said: "There was major reason for concern as this is a dangerous beach and lifeguards were not on yet on duty at the time the swimmer was missed.

"It's a great relief that this person has been found safe and well."

The search came just four days after five young men from London, all in their late teens and early twenties, died after getting into difficulty in the water at Camber Sands.

Kenugen Saththiyanathan, 18, his brother Kobikanthan Saththiyanathan, 22, known as Kobi, Nitharsan Ravi, 22, Inthushan Sriskantharasa, 23, and Gurushanth Srithavarajah, 27, died after visiting the beach on Wednesday.

Relatives of some of the men criticised the lack of lifeguards at Camber and suggested they may have stood a chance of survival if the beach had been manned.

A spokesman for Rother District Council said that, despite there being no lifeguards, there were summer patrols to advise people of potential dangers.

The RNLI also announced it would be providing a temporary bank holiday RNLI lifeguard service at Camber Sands until the beginning of September, in response to the deaths.

The deaths were the second time a serious incident has taken place recently at Camber Sands. In July, a 19-year-old Brazilian Gustavo Silva da Cruz died after getting into difficulty while swimming in the sea.

A 35-year-old man and his 17-year-old son, not connected to Mr Da Cruz, also got into difficultly in the water.

Up to 25,000 people can be found on the beach at its most popular periods, said a Rother District Council spokesperson.

More people have started visiting who may not be familiar with the area, they added.

Additional reporting by Press Association