Overview

• Bodies of an unidentified man and woman were recovered from beneath the cliffs at Whitby Abbey on the evening of July 30 following a multi-agency response.
• A passerby alerted police at 7:16 pm after spotting the pair on rocks below the cliff as the tide turned.
• The Coastguard deployed a helicopter to airlift the bodies to waiting ambulance crews by 8:24 pm amid fast-rising water.
• North Yorkshire Police have opened an inquiry into the cause and circumstances of the sudden deaths in preparation for an inquest.
• Witnesses or anyone with information are asked to call North Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting reference number 12250141734.