Man dies in sea at packed resort

A man was swept to his death after tumbling off a rubber ring in the sea at a packed tourist resort in the North today.

Rescuers on a beach at Portrush, on the north Antrim coast, tried to save the 44-year-old man when they saw him in trouble.

A lifeboat was launched and a Coastguard officer who had been dealing with an earlier emergency involving two children on the same East Strand grabbed a canoe and tried to reach him.

A Coastguard spokesman said: “One of our men who is an experienced canoeist paddled straight out from the beach.

“He was removed from the water and taken in the lifeboat while the crew commenced CPR until an ambulance arrived.

“Unfortunately on arrival at Coleraine hospital he was declared dead.”

It is believed the man, who was from Belfast, was a non-swimmer.

Police confirmed they were investigating the death.

The beaches of Portrush, Northern Ireland’s premier seaside destination, had been packed as people enjoyed the warm weather.

But earlier two youngsters had to be rescued after getting into difficulties offshore.

One of the children saw the other in trouble and went to their aid.

As both began to panic, however, a fisherman helped bring them to safety.

Both were taken to hospital to be treated for swallowing water.