Man dies after fishing boat sinks off Rossall Point in Fleetwood

Emergency services were called at shortly before 8am today after the vessel, believed to be a decommissioned fishing vessel, got into difficulty about a mile off the coast.

While the body has not been formally identified he is believed to be a man in his 30s from Blackburn.

The body of the man was found following a rescue mission involving two lifeboats and the Coastguard's search and rescue helicopter

A Lancashire Police spokesman said: "Two people were rescued from the water but sadly a third man went down with the boat.

"His body was later recovered from the water by the RNLI.

"His next of kin are being informed and our thoughts are with his loved ones at this time."

A spokesman for Fleetwood's RNLI said: "We were called out at 7.45am to reports of a fishing boat sinking near Rossall Point and both of our lifeboats were sent out.

"When were arrived a wind farm support boat called Eden Rose was already there and had picked up two of the fishermen. At this point the boat had sank.

"The two men were transferred over to one our lifeboats and were taken back to Fleetwood into the care of the ambulance service as they were believed to have mild hypothermia.

"The lifeboat was then sent back out to search for the third fisherman who was still missing."

The death is not being treated as suspicious and the matter will be referred to HM Coroner.

The two survivors, a man aged 71 from Accrington and a man aged 70 from the Blackburn area, were taken by ambulance to hospital as a precaution suffering from shock and the effects of the cold water.