Man dead, child hurt in surf mishap

A woman dialled 999 at 7pm on Sunday to report that people were entering the water at Fistral Beach, in Newquay, Cornwall to try to get the pair out.

Falmouth Coastguard rescue team was mobilised, a helicopter was scrambled and the Newquay lifeboat launched.

The child was semi-conscious and the man was given CPR until the rescue helicopter landed at the beach.

Both the man and child were airlifted to the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Treliske along with paramedics and a policeman.

The man was later pronounced dead. The child's condition is unknown.

A coastguard spokesman said: "It is believed that they were boogie boarding, wet suits were not being worn and the surf height was six feet."

Boogie boarding, also known as body boarding, is a form of wave-riding using a board of foam, smaller than a surfboard.