Teenage boy 'plunges 400ft to his death off notorious Beachy Head as younger girl, 15, looks on in horror'

  • A young man aged between 17 and 18 fell to his death from Beachy Head
  • The tragedy was witnessed by a 15-year-old girl who had been reported missing
  • A coastguard helicopter recovered the man's remains from the foot of the cliff
  • Police said there were no suspicious circumstances regarding the man's death 

By DARREN BOYLE, DATA JOURNALIST

Published: | Updated:

A teenage girl witnessed a young man fall to his death from Beachy Head in Sussex on Wednesday. 

The body of the young man, who is believed to be aged between 17 and 18, was recovered by coastguard helicopter after he fell some 400 feet to his death. 

A 15-year-old girl witnessed the incident and called the police. 

The boy's body was flown to Eastbourne District Hospital having being winched from rocks by a coastguard helicopter. 

A teenage boy fell to his death from Beachy Head, East Sussex, yesterday (file photograph)

A teenage boy fell to his death from Beachy Head, East Sussex, yesterday (file photograph)

The young man's body was winched up from the bottom of the cliffs by the coast guard helicopter, file photo

The young man's body was winched up from the bottom of the cliffs by the coast guard helicopter, file photo

Both the police and the coroner are investigating the cause of the young man's death.   

Police have withheld his name and details of where he was from until an inquest is opened and adjourned by the East Sussex coroner.

Police, coastguards and paramedics rushed to the scene after the alarm was raised by the teenage girl. 

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: 'We received a report of a man falling from Beachy Head around 11.20am on Wednesday. A body was spotted by the coastguard helicopter shortly before 12.30pm and has been recovered.

'The death has been referred to the coroner and there are no suspicious circumstances.

'Around the same time we received a report of a missing girl from Horsham who was thought to be in the Beachy Head area. She was subsequently found.'

A post mortem examination is to be carried out on the teenager’s body to ascertain the exact cause of his death and an inquest will be opened.

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see https://www.samaritans.org/ for details.

 

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