Solent night search for suspected missing swimmer called off

The alarm was raised on Friday night (stock image)

Fears for a missing swimmer sparked an extensive search by lifeboats, coastguards and a helicopter.

The alarm was raised after a woman was helped out of the water at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight by an off-duty paramedic on Friday night, the RNLI said.

Items on the beach indicated a second person may have been in the water triggering a search, the charity said.

The search was called off after nothing was found.

The RNLI said the search focused on the eastern Solent from around 22:30 BST when three lifeboats were launched from East Cowes and Bembridge.

Coastguards at the National Maritime Centre called off the search at midnight.

The woman who was helped from the water was taken to hospital in Newport.