Five surfers drown off of Dutch coast after setting out in rough seas and strong winds

• Surfers battled with raging waves in the North Sea off the coast of Holland near Havenhoofd, Scheveningen
• Five people were pulled from the sea still alive by emergency services during a rescue yesterday evening
• Two bodies were taken from the water last night and three more have been found in the waves  this morning

Three bodies were pulled from the sea off the coast of Holland this morning a day after emergency services saved five people and recovered two bodies from thrashing waves. 

The group of nine got into trouble in crashing waves in the North Sea near Scheveningen on Tuesday night.

Two bodies were taken out of the water after emergency services were called at 6.45pm. Five others were rescued from the waves and one had to be taken to hospital.

But as night fell the search had to be halted with three surfers still missing at 10.45pm near Havenhoofd.

A helicopter blasted foam away from the sea this morning so rescuers could more easily see if a body had washed ashore 

As soon as it was bright enough to see, at around seven this morning, the operation was back on and a helicopter was drafted in to clear thick foam caused by the rough sea crashing onto the beach.

Rescuers found a third body and winched it out of the water. Later in the morning they found two others, meaning five people died in the rough sea last night.

Mayor Johan Remkes of The Hague expressed his condolences on Monday evening. 'When a group of people went surfing early in the evening, no one expected that some would not come home,' he said in a written statement. 

A third body is taken from the sea. Police have confirmed a search for three missing surfers was restarted this morning. They are all now confirmed dead

'I speak on behalf of every Hagenaar and every Scheveninger when I say that we sympathize deeply and stand with their loved ones.' 

'The strong wind from a northern direction and strong sea current due to the spring tide made the joint search actions a tricky job,' lifeguard service KNRM said in a statement. 

Over the weekend a man, 28, from Den Bosch was killed while out kite surfing off the Zeeland coast. 

Officials say he appeared to have been caught up in strong winds and hit against the concrete post of a beach house.