Witnesses describe sea rescue bid

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While the youngsters were saved, the adults were caught out by the strong current.

Onlookers spoke of yells for help and described the crowd on the beach trying to revive the adults, as the children wept.

Robert and Deborah Fry, 53 and 49, from Wootton Bassett in Wiltshire, and their friend Barbara Jean Dinsmore, 43, known as Jean, all drowned in the waters off the south west coast of Portugal on Monday. A German father died of a heart attack after saving his child.

There were no lifeguards on duty as the summer season had ended and the beach was closed.

It is understood the children were warned about the dangerous currents off the treacherous stretch of the Algarve coast in the seaside village of Sagres.

Jame Revaielta, 26, from Cadiz on the south coast of Spain, helped to drag one of the surviving adults from the water.

He said: "The kids were yelling for help, so two adults - a male and a female - went into the sea. The mother held onto one of the kid's arms and then another wave came and pushed the child out again. That wave pushed them all into the sea."

He ran into the water to try to help but as it reached waist height it became impossible to stand. He turned back as two more adults swam in, and started to look for help from the body boarders and surfers.

He said around six or seven of them tried to help, going to the aid of the children first. After that they went to help the adults but they were lost, he added.