Five rescued by water scooter after boat sinks

A coastguard helicopter was sent to the scene

Five people have been rescued and brought to shore by water scooter after their boat capsized and sank off the East Sussex coast.

HM Coastguard said it received multiple 999 calls just after 14:40 BST when the vessel sank off Seaford.

A helicopter was sent with coastguard rescue teams from Newhaven and Birling Gap, the Newhaven lifeboat, South East Coast Ambulance Service and Sussex Police.

“The five people, who were wearing lifejackets, were taken to shore by a jet ski that was in the area prior to teams arriving,” a coastguard spokesman said.

They were then passed into the care of the ambulance service, he added.