A heroic man in his 60s has died after attempting to save two family members who got into difficulty in the sea off the coast of Cornwall. The tragedy occurred on bank holiday Monday, May 25, as record-breaking hot weather gripped the UK.
Incident at Tregirls Beach
Emergency services were called to a beach near Padstow at approximately 3:50 pm. Police confirmed that the man, a local resident, entered the water at Tregirls Beach to rescue two family members. While the family members were brought to safety by other beachgoers, the man suffered a cardiac arrest in the sea and was pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin have been informed.
Devon and Cornwall Police stated: 'We were called by the Ambulance Service at around 3:50 pm on Monday 25 May following a report of a man suffering a cardiac arrest in the sea at Tregirls Beach, Padstow. Emergency services and the RNLI attended the scene but sadly, the local man in his 60s was pronounced deceased at the scene.' The death is not being treated as suspicious, and a file will be prepared for HM Coroner.
Teenage Deaths Across the UK
The incident came on the same day as three teenagers died in separate drowning incidents across England. In West Yorkshire, a 13-year-old boy, named locally as Reco David-James, was pronounced dead after being pulled from water near Halifax. A 16-year-old girl was found dead at a water park in Warwickshire, and South Yorkshire Police confirmed the death of a teenage boy at Rother Valley Country Park in Rotherham.
Additionally, a search is ongoing for a 12-year-old boy who vanished while swimming with friends in the River Ribble in Lancashire. Lancashire Police said: 'We were called at just after 2 pm today (Tuesday, May 26) to a concern for the welfare of a child who had gone into the river at Ribchester. The child, a boy, had got into difficulty while swimming with friends. Emergency services are at the scene and searches are ongoing.'
These deaths follow the discovery of the body of Declan Sawyer, 15, at Swanholme Lakes in Lincoln on Sunday.
Record-Breaking Heatwave
The UK experienced its hottest day of May on record on Monday, with temperatures reaching 34.8°C at Kew in south London. The previous record of 32.8°C was set in 1944. Forecasters described the heat as 'unprecedented for the time of year,' noting that temperature records are typically broken by only fractions of a degree.
Multiple amber and yellow heat health warnings remain in place across England. Amber alerts, the second-highest warning level in the UK Health Security Agency's three-tier system, are active in London, East of England, South East, West Midlands, and East Midlands. Yellow warnings cover the rest of England, cautioning that the heat poses a risk to vulnerable and older people.
Thousands of people flocked to beaches, water parks, and reservoirs to enjoy the hot weather, but the tragedies have cast a shadow over the bank holiday weekend.
