Two men 'jump' from Brighton Palace Pier sparking large emergency operation
Watch: A large emergency response surrounding the beach on the western side of Brighton Palace Pier
Two men remain in hospital after reportedly jumping into the sea from Brighton Palace Pier.
Multiple police vehicles, paramedics from South East Coast Ambulance and coastguard teams surrounded the beach on the western side of the popular attraction on Sunday evening.
Sussex Police told ITV News they were alerted to the incident at around 6:55pm and HM Coastguard helicopter could also be seen flying overhead.
A police cordon was placed in an area of the seafront as officers directed people away from the beach.
Shortly after 8:00pm an ambulance, with blue lights and sirens on, could be seen heading away from the pier.
A spokesperson for Sussex Police confirmed the two men were taken to hospital.
"Two men have been taken to hospital having reportedly jumped into the sea from Brighton Palace Pier."Police were alerted to the incident about 6.55pm on Sunday 28 August.
"Officers supported emergency services partners at the scene, and the men were left in the care of the ambulance service and taken to hospital."The severity of the men's injuries aren't yet clear.
The incident follows an emergency response in July when two people got in trouble in the water after jumping off the pier.
Following the rescue, Brighton RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Roger Cohen MBE said the pair had a "lucky escape as there was a low tide at the time".
The charity issued a reminder to people about the dangers of Tombstoning because of the unpredictability of water depth.
Roger said, "Jumping from piers and groynes, known as tombstoning, can be incredibly dangerous at any state of the tide for a number of reasons such as submerged rocks and strong currents.
"We realise that it’s tempting to jump from height into the water, especially with such great weather but submerged items may not be visible and could cause serious injury if you hit them.
"The shock of cold water may also make it difficult to swim and in some places strong currents might sweep you away."