Man dies after family washed into sea in Cornwall

A man has died after he and his family were washed out to sea at Fistral Beach in Newquay.

The family of five were on rocks at South Fistral Beach when they were swept into the sea by a large wave around 5.20pm.

The man and woman and three children, from the Surrey area, were holidaying in the Newquay area when the incident happened.

The RNLI lifeboat, coastguard helicopter, lifeguards from North Fistral, police, air ambulance and ambulance crews attended the scene. The mother and father, both in their 30s, were pulled from the water by RNLI lifeguards.

Lifeguards carried out CPR on the man before he was airlifted by the air ambulance to the Royal Cornwall Hospital. He died yesterday evening.

The woman was also flown to the Royal Cornwall Hospital where she remains having sustained minor injuries. A two-year-old girl was recovered from the sea by an RNLI lifeboat before being flown to hospital where she remains.

The two other children managed to get back onto the rocks and were located by the coastguard. They sustained minor injuries before being taken by ambulance to the Royal Cornwall Hospital.

Next of kin have not yet been informed and formal ID has not yet been carried out on the man.

Police have launched an investigation into the circumstances of the incident and are appealing for witnesses.

Anyone who saw the incident or has information which can assist the investigation is being asked to attend Newquay police station today, Saturday 20 August, between 2pm and 4pm, and tomorrow between 10am and 2pm.

The rescue was unrelated to a separate incident at Towan beach yesterday afternoon.