Residents familiar with the area have long warned that the seabed near Brighton drops sharply just offshore. The slope is said to become particularly dangerous near Palace Pier, where the shingle incline is steepest.
Warnings are frequently issued to tourists and visitors about entering the water too far from shore, especially during changing tide conditions. The reported theory has drawn widespread attention online as many try to understand how such a devastating incident could happen so close to a busy tourist destination.
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