Coastguard halts nine-hour search for a person who was swept into the sea by large waves at Largs

From the Newshound archive · first published 27 October 2026.

A woman in her 50s died after a wave engulfed her as she walked her dog along the coastal promenade between Sandown and Shanklin on the Isle of Wight; her body was recovered south of Sandown Pier shortly after midday. A major emergency response — involving Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 375, Bembridge RNLI's all-weather lifeboat, police and paramedics — was launched after she was struck by a wave at around 11.15am. Storm Boelo has now claimed multiple lives across the UK, with a yellow wind warning in place until 9pm on Tuesday covering most of Scotland, parts of northern England and Northern Ireland.

The nine-hour Largs search — drawing in a helicopter, an aeroplane, RNLI lifeboats stationed at Largs and Troon, coastguard teams, police and fire crews — was stood down at 9am after nobody was found.

Storm Boelo also shut all schools in the Western Isles and dozens across the Highlands and Aberdeenshire, with gusts of up to 70mph forecast in exposed coastal areas.