A swimmer in his 40s has died after encountering difficulties in the sea off the Devon coastline.
The man, who was from Surrey, was pulled from the water at Blackpool Sands near Strete on Monday afternoon by emergency services.
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Despite receiving treatment from paramedics at the scene, he was declared dead.
Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed they were contacted by HM Coastguard at 3.30pm on Monday, August 24 regarding concerns for the man’s welfare
The force said the incident is not being treated as suspicious, and that a file would be compiled for the coroner.
A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police outlined the sequence of events, stating: “The man had got into difficulty while swimming in the sea and was recovered from the water by HM Coastguard.”
The coastguard raised the alarm with police at half past three on Monday afternoon after growing concerned about the swimmer’s safety at the popular beach near Dartmouth.
Paramedics attended and provided medical assistance at the location, but their efforts proved unsuccessful
A spokesman for the force confirmed: “Sadly, the man, who was in his 40s from Surrey, was pronounced deceased at the scene.”
Officers said a report would be prepared for the coroner in due course.
The identity of the victim has not been publicly released, though police confirmed he had travelled from Surrey to the Devon coast.
No further details regarding the man’s background or the conditions at sea that afternoon have been disclosed by authorities.
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The tragedy at Blackpool Sands comes during a period of heightened concern over the risks posed by coastal waters around England, with multiple fatalities recorded at beaches in recent weeks.
The Devon death follows a devastating incident off the West Sussex coast, where four members of the same Palestinian refugee family lost their lives after entering the sea at Shoreham-by-Sea.
Saja El-Khawas, who was just six-years-old, died in hospital on Friday, days after her sister Sara, 14, and their parents Hassan El-Khawas, 55, and Zeina Alayn, 37, died on Tuesday afternoon.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham described the Shoreham drownings as “a terrible family tragedy” and cautioned the public about the dangers associated with swimming in open water.
Sussex Police said their investigation remained open but, following a review of CCTV and initial witness statements, the deaths were currently believed to be a tragic accident with no third-party involvement.
The El-Khawas family is understood to have travelled from their London home to Shoreham, entering the water near the 19th century Shoreham Fort at approximately 2pm before getting into trouble.
A spokesman from the Palestinian Embassy in London confirmed that Hassan El-Khawas was a Palestinian refugee originally from the Rashidieh Camp in southern Lebanon.
Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls in the London borough of Ealing paid tribute to Sara, a Year 8 pupil, describing her as “a sweet girl, well-liked by staff and students”.
Adnan Hmidan, chairman of the Palestinian Forum in Britain, said the Palestinian, Arab and broader community had been “deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic incident involving the Khawwas family during a day trip off the coast of Sussex.”
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