THREE teenagers were pulled from the sea off Clacton and two remain in a critical condition.

Three air ambulances were called to the scene in Marine Parade West.

One witness said: "There are three air ambulances here and it is cordoned off – you can’t get through.

“I can see a lot of people running about in a state of panic and it looks like the ambulance services are with people on the beach.”

A spokesman for the ambulance service said: "We were called to an incident today at 1.34pm.

"Our first response vehicle arrived at the scene in under seven minutes. 

"We dispatched multiple resources including rapid response vehicles, ambulance officers, three ambulance crews, our hazardous area response team (HART) and air ambulances from Essex and Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT) and East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA). 

"Multiple patients were treated at the scene.

"One patient was transported to Colchester General Hospital by land ambulance as a precaution for further treatment. 

"A further two patients were also taken to Colchester General Hospital, both in a critical condition."

Braintree and Witham Times:

  • An air ambulance arrives at the scene

A spokesman for Essex Police confirmed the casualties are teenagers.

He said: "Emergency services were called around 1.40pm today, Thursday 8 August, to reports that three people were recovered from the water near to Clacton Pier and were being treated on the beach.

"Ambulance, Coastguard and police are in attendance and the three casualties are still being treated.

"Two of the three remain in a critical condition. We will provide more updates when we are position to do so." 

Braintree and Witham Times:

  • Emergency service vehicles at the scene

A spokesman for Essex Air Ambulance said: "We are currently attending an incident in the Clacton area.

"At this time three critical care teams are in attendance - two from Essex and Herts Air Ambulance and one from the East Anglian Air Ambulance.

"They are helping to provide critical care along with our partners from the East of England Ambulance Service Trust and other emergency services. At this stage it is too early to provide further details."

Richard Wigley, Clacton RNLI spokesman, said: "We were paged to concerns for people in the water at 1.45pm.

"The D-class lifeboat made its way towards the pier, but it was flagged down by beach patrol staff to the beach in front of West Greensward.

"But when they arrived, three casualties were already our of the water and were being treated by paramedics at the scene.

"The lifeboat was tasked to look for a fourth person in the water, before being stood down."

Hedingham Buses said they were having to divert via Wash lane due to the incident.

In a Tweet they said: "We are also expecting severe delays for the foreseeable future."