A police investigation has been launched after the Hoylake lifeboat recovered the body of a man from the sea last night.
A local work boat alerted the Coastguard after spotting the body a few miles north of the mouth of the River Dee. Police say the body was about six miles off the Wirral coastline.
The Coastguard requested help in recovering the body, and the volunteer crew of the Hoylake lifeboat was paged, launching just before 9.20pm last night.
Merseyside police went to the Hoylake lifeboat station at 10.30pm to await their return, and the body was brought ashore at midnight.
“Whilst the body is yet to be formally identified it is thought to be that of a man,” said a police spokesman.
“An investigation is underway to establish the identity of the person and the circumstances surrounding his death, which is being treated as unexplained at this time.”
Second Coxswain Tony Warburton, who was in command of the lifeboat, said:”It was good to be able to help the family of the missing person who now have some closure following their sad loss.”
The crew stood down at 2.30 this morning after their lifeboat was washed down, refuelled and made ready for the next service.
