Young man dies at Crantock beach in Cornwall after being swept out to sea

A young man has died at a popular beach in Cornwall after being swept out to sea in a strong rip tide.

The holidaymaker, aged 27, was with two other men when they got into difficulty on Tuesday evening.

The group were caught in a rip tide before being dragged out at Crantock beach in Newquay – a spot known for its strong currents due to a river running through the sand.

Coastguards, two RNLI lifeboats, police and ambulance crews were sent to the scene at around 7.30pm, along with a search and rescue helicopter.

The three men, who were on holiday in the area, were pulled from the water by two local surfers and then airlifted to the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro.

A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said: "The 27-year-old man was pronounced deceased a short time later.

"His next of kin have been informed. The death is not being treated as suspicious and police will be carrying out inquiries on behalf of the coroner."

The other two swimmers, aged 17 and 18, remain in hospital in Truro but are not believed to be in a serious condition.

Leigh Hallam spotted a group of men getting swept out to sea from part of the coast which overlooks the beach and called 999.

They told the BBC: “Four of them scrambled on the rocks but three of them kept getting dragged out.

“I was shouting to some paddle-boarders and surfers to grab them and I was shouting to the three guys to swim sideways out of the rip but they were unresponsive.”