Two people have been taken to hospital, one in a serious condition, after a boat capsized out to sea.
Emergency services, including an HM Coastguard helicopter and two RNLI lifeboats were called to Shoebury Common beach, in Southend, earlier.
The coastguard said one of the casualties “was able to make it to shore on his own”, while the other was winched into a helicopter.
Essex police and fire services, and the ambulance service, assisted in the search and rescue operation on the Thames estuary.