A body has been discovered two weeks after a 15-year-old girl was swept out to sea.
Humberside Police said the body has not yet been recovered from rocks due to difficult conditions at Withernsea, East Yorkshire, and no formal identification has been made.
The discovery follows the disappearance of 15-year-old Grace Keeling, who was swept into the water on 2 January. Extensive searches have been carried out over the past two weeks to find her.
The bodies of Grace’s mother, Sarah Keeling, and a member of the public who died while trying to help rescue the pair, Mark Ratcliffe, were found on the evening of 2 January. Police said the newly discovered body has not yet been formally identified.
Emergency services were unable to safely recover the body because of high tide but secured the location using specialist equipment. Officers worked throughout Friday to retrieve the body but were hindered by tide times, weather conditions, and the location.
The recovery operation has been paused until it is safe to continue.
Detective Superintendent Simon Vickers said: “At around 8.30am, a body was discovered by Humberside Police Search Advisors. However, due to tide times and conditions, despite every effort, it was not possible to carry out a safe recovery before high tide. The location was secured overnight using specialist equipment, and a cordon remains in place around the area.
“Today (Friday, 16 January 2026), officers and specialist teams have been working to explore every possible option in very complex circumstances to delicately recover the body. However, due to tide times, conditions, and the location, the recovery could not be immediately carried out and has therefore been paused until it is safe to resume.
“Whilst no formal identification has taken place at this time, we recognise that this discovery comes after 15-year-old Grace Keeling was swept into the water on Friday, 2 January 2026, and extensive searches have followed over the last thirteen days to locate her.
“I appreciate this update will understandably cause concern to members of the public. However, I would like to reassure people that we have a dedicated team of specialists doing everything they can to carry out the recovery as safely and as quickly as possible.
“Specialist officers have been in contact with Grace’s family to make them aware of this discovery, and we respectfully ask people to refrain from speculation and to consider the family’s privacy. We also ask the public to avoid the area so emergency services can work safely.
“Further updates will be provided as soon as we are able to.”
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