Three men have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man went missing from a sailing boat off the Dorset coast.
Police were alerted on Sunday to the disappearance of the man who was reported to have gone into the water from a vessel in Arne Bay on Friday evening.
A Dorset Police spokesman said three men, aged 22, 31 and 46, have been arrested as searches continue.
He said: “Dorset Police received a report at 6.56pm on Sunday 31 May reporting that a man was believed to have gone into the water from a sailing boat in the area of Arne Bay between around 8pm and 9pm on Friday 29 May.
“An investigation is under way into the circumstances of him going missing and the subsequent reporting of the matter two days later.
“His whereabouts remains unknown and detailed searches are being carried out to try and locate him.
“As part of the investigation, three men – a 46-year-old from Poole, a 31-year-old of no fixed abode and a 22-year-old from Essex – have been arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in police custody.”
The spokesman said the arrests were “made to assist the investigation in gathering information and also to provide legal protection to those involved as inquiries continue”.
He added: “Officers are working hard to establish a clear picture of what happened and we would urge people to refrain from speculating on the circumstances of this incident as a thorough investigation is carried out into the matter.”
