Paddle boarder describes desperate attempts to save men from water at Crosby

• Video report by Tasha Kacheri

A paddle boarder has described her desperate attempts to help save the lives of a group of friends who were struggling in the sea off the coast of Merseyside.

Three men were rescued from the water after emergency services responded to a "serious" incident at Crosby beac

Despite efforts one of the men died shortly after being dragged from the water, a second man remains in a critical condition in hospital, while a third has been discharged.

Mandy Hodgson had taken her paddle board into the sea at Crosby for the very first time when she saw a group of men in the water who were obviously in trouble.

She told ITV Granada Reports: "Unfortunately by the time I got there two [men] were faced down. I used my paddle to bring one of the guys in close and he grabbed hold of the board.

"There was one guy who seemed to be ok who was keeping his head above water and I was trying to make as much noise and scream for attention to the shoreline for someone to try and help me."

Alongside others, Mary was able to help get the men to shore as the Coastguard arrived.

In a statement Merseyside Police said: "We can confirm that a man has died and two men were taken to hospital following an incident at Crosby Beach, Wednesday 20 July.

"At around 7.10pm, emergency services attended the beach following reports of three men in their 20s getting into difficulties in the sea. All three men were taken to hospital.

"One man was sadly pronounced deceased a short time later. A second remains in hospital in a critical but stable condition and a third has been discharged.

"The deceased man’s family have been made aware and are being supported by officers."

The man has been named locally as Hamza Mansoor.

According to the RNLI, lifeguards in the North West are among the busiest in the country.

In Summer 2020, there were more casualties in our region that anywhere else in the UK and Ireland.

There have now been five deaths in water in the last four days. The message is an important one - stay safe.

"The hot weather makes people think that the water is warm as well when it's quite cold.

"In that situation if you finds yourself getting into difficulty we use a 'float to live' message, which is to control your breathing, like yourself on your back, spread your arms out and float and wait for the emergency services to come."

A 19-year-old died after getting into difficulty in Salford Quays shortly after 4.35pm on Sunday 18 July.

It is thought Ngapee Merenga, a talented footballer from Ardwick, had been swimming with friends from his football team when he disappeared under the water on Sunday evening.

The body of a 16-year-old boy was also found after he went missing on the River Weaver near Frodsham, Cheshire on Monday 19 July.

Mary says people need to be more aware of the dangers of swimming in open water. She said: "