Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Rescuers call off search for 14-year-old Dylan Atkins lost at sea off Newhaven

Teenager is believed to have been swept away by waves while playing on the beach

Tom Pugh
Monday 28 October 2013 11:11 GMT
Comments
The Newhaven lifeboat searching for a missing teenager who was washed into the sea this afternoon at West Beach, Newhaven
The Newhaven lifeboat searching for a missing teenager who was washed into the sea this afternoon at West Beach, Newhaven (RNLI/PA)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A 14-year-old boy feared dead after being swept into the sea in rough weather has been named locally as Dylan Alkins.

The teenager disappeared while playing in the surf at West Beach in Newhaven, East Sussex, at about 4.15pm yesterday.

Rescue teams, including a Coastguard helicopter and an RNLI lifeboat, scoured the area in what were described as "atrocious conditions" with poor visibility.

Last night, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said the operation had now become one of search and recovery.

Officials from the Newhaven lifeboat said that at 9.45pm all teams searching for the missing boy had been stood down for the night by the Coastguard.

An MCA spokeswoman said rescue teams had struggled in difficult conditions, and that police were with the boy's family who were "distraught".

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in