Man 'swept into sea' in Blackpool 1 January 2013 Last updated at 06:25 Emergency services have been searching overnight for a man who was swept into the sea in Blackpool, coastguards say. The incident happened at about midnight when two men on the steps of South Pier were hit by a wave. One managed to get out of the water and raise the alarm. Two helicopters, three lifeboats, coastguards, police officers, firefighters and paramedics have been searching for the missing man. The search was scaled down at 04:00 BST and will start again at first light.