Mother dies following sea rescue off Bude

Two members of the public pulled the woman from the water

A woman has died after being swept out to sea in a rip current off the Cornish coast.

The woman, who was aged in her 50s, and her two sons aged 11 and 13, got caught in the current off Northcott Mouth, near Bude, at about 14:00 BST.

One boy made it back to shore on his own and the other was rescued by the RNLI's Bude inshore lifeboat.

Police said the boys, who were not seriously injured, had been told of their mother's death.

It is not known if they are local or were on holiday.

'Admirable' rescue

Falmouth Coastguard said the woman was recovered from the water by two men - one of whom had raised the alarm after seeing the family in difficulty.

Lifeguards performed CPR on the woman until a helicopter from RMB Chivenor arrived to take her to North Devon District Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Sgt Lynden Hughes from Devon and Cornwall Police said: "Had these two members of the public not done what they did, then we would have probably been looking at a more serious incident involving the young boy as well.

"They really did take their life into their own hands and assisted in the most admirable way."