The full HM Coastguard statement has been issued, confirming the deaths of a man and a woman at Firstral Beach.

"Police were called by the South Western Ambulance Service at around 9.45pm on Sunday 26 July following reports that two people had been recovered from the water at Fistral Beach, Newquay.

"Emergency services attended and a cordon was put in place, which has since been removed.

"Sadly, a man and a woman were pronounced deceased at the scene.

"Their families have been informed, and our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult time.

"A file will be prepared for HM Coroner."

Ross Macleod, water safety manager at the RNLI, said the deaths were a "tragic reminder around how dangerous open water can be".

Macleod said warm weather had seen several people flock to beaches and other open water locations, but that it was important to be aware of the risks.

He urged people to visit lifeguarded beaches where possible and to swim between the red and yellow flags. Cold water, changing sea conditions and rip currents could catch out even experienced swimmers, he added.

Mayor of Newquay Drew Creek said "our worst fears were realised this morning" when the town woke to the news that two people had died.

"We heard the helicopter quite low over the bay and, of course, whenever you hear that as a resident, your heart sinks because you know that they are out there for a reason, and I suppose our worst fears were realised this morning when we woke up to the news," Creek said.

He added it was a "challenging time" for the town and expressed "a huge thank you" to emergency services and rescue teams.

Police, paramedics and coastguard crews were all called to Cornwall's Fistral Beach on Sunday night(Image: Cornwall Live)

Newquay Mayor Drew Creek said the two deaths at Fistral Beach was "awful" news and that "everyone in Newquay was feeling sombre".

"We're all feeling the loss of the individuals yesterday," he told the BBC.

"They were down on holiday, we understand, and [this is] not the way you would want anyone's holiday here in Newquay to be.

"Our thoughts and our feelings go out to the families affected," he added.

The deaths of the father and daughter at Fristal Beach come as a body was tragically found in a desperate search for two men who vanished near a Haven holiday park in Wales.

Officers were called at around 12.30pm yesterday, July 26, to reports of a body being found on a beach in Aberystwyth.

The individual has now been identified as Connor Parfitt, one of the men who were last seen close to a beach off Hafan-Y-Mor Holiday Park in Pwllheli on Tuesday evening. Connor's family and the coroner have been informed.

Hafan Y Mor holiday park on the North Wales coast

A second man, Simon Wilson, has not yet been found, and officers are continuing to support his family, North Wales Police said.

Full story: Man found dead at beach in Wales

Devon and Cornwall Police said the family of the two deceased individuals are seeking to recover a handbag the woman was carrying when she entered the water. The bag is believed to contain items of sentimental value.

It is described as leather-style, with a shoulder strap, orange or peach in colour and around 30cm by 30cm in size.

The force said "anyone who finds a bag matching the description is asked to hand it in to Newquay Police Station," or contact police.

Five more people have drowned at British beauty spots across 24 hours of tragedy.

The latest deaths mean some 40 people have drowned in open water across the UK since May 24, during which there has been several near-successive heatwaves.

We reinforce the Mirror's Save Lives for Sam campaign to urge the Government to take urgent action following the harrowing few months.

Full story: Five more people drown at British beauty spots

A warning message to swimmers on the Fistral Beach website says: "The weather's hot but the water's cold. If you get into difficulty, Float to Live".

Those planning to get into the water are also warned to "find the red and yellow flags and always swim or bodyboard between them" as this section is patrolled by lifeguards.

The website adds that visitors should "never" swim alone.

Fistral beach has issued advice to swimmers(Image: William Dax / SWNS)

A family from West Sussex told how multiple ambulances had flooded the area as part of the emergency response to save the father and daughter.

The Bunn family told Cornwall Live: "It's really sad. We were at the headland and could see the helicopter and lights from there. It looked like there were lots of ambulances up on the hill."

Fistral Beach is Britain's most famous surfing beach, with consistent and powerful waves exposed to Atlantic swells.

But the area is also well-known for having extremely strong and dangerous rip currents, particularly during outgoing tides.

Locals said the sea currents were "very strong" last night. Mason, a surfer from Bournemouth said: "There are very strong rips off the rocks there, it's a real shame."

Fistral beach in Newquay, Cornwall (file image)(Image: William Dax / SWNS)

Five people have died within a few hours of each other after getting into difficulty in three separate water tragedies.

The deaths of the father and daughter at Fistral Beach came after a man got into difficulty in the water off West Wittering in West Sussex.

Sussex Police said two men, who did not know each other, were pulled from the sea at around 2:30pm on Sunday, but one of the men was confirmed dead at the scene.

At around 3:30pm on Sunday, two women in their 20s died after emergency crews were alerted to reports of divers in difficulty at a loch in Argyll and Bute.

A 25-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident at St Catherines, Cairndow, while the body of a 24-year-old was found in the water following further searches.

Devon & Cornwall Police have released a statement on the incident which reads as follows:

Police are appealing for the public to hand in a bag containing items belonging to the woman which are of 'great sentimental value' to the deceased's family.

The woman, in her 30s, was said to have entered the water whilst carrying a leather-style handbag described as orange or peach in colour, with a shoulder strap, police said. It is thought to contain a number of personal items of great sentimental value to her loved ones.

"At what is an incredibly difficult time for the family, they would take great comfort in being reunited with these belongings if possible.

"We would be very grateful if anyone who finds a bag matching this description could hand it in to Newquay Police Station or contact us," they said in a statement.

The two people who drowned in last night's incident at Fistral Beach have been confirmed to be father and daughter, police have announced.

Here is everything we know so far about the two drownings that took place last night at Fistral Beach in Newquay:

• Emergency services including the ambulance service, coastguard rescue teams, RNLI lifeboats and a coastguard helicopter were sent to Fistral Beach in Newquay as two people were recovered from the water. The incident took place last night at around 9.45pm.
• Devon and Cornwall Police have since confirmed the two victims are a woman in her 30s and a man in his 60s. Both were pronounced dead at the scene and their families have been informed.
• One witness described attempting to save the man's life by jabbing him with an adrenaline pen and trying to give him oxygen. The victim's lungs were "full of water", however, and he remained unresponsive.
• It is understood the woman and the man were father and daughter who were on holiday in Cornwall. It has been reported that the two had been walking near the rocks and had fallen into the water.

Boardmasters Festival is now just days away from taking place in Newquay, with one of its two locations being Fistral Beach, where last night's tragic events unfolded.

Boardmasters is the UK's biggest annual surf and music event, combining pro surfing competitions, live music acts and coastal culture.

This year's event will take place between August 5 and 9 at the beach and Watergate Bay, which is its main location.

While Watergate Bay is where the arena and campsite will be located, Fistral Beach will welcome the event's surf competition, skate, beach bar and shopping village. Some of the main acts include Fatboy Slim, Lily Allen and James Arthur.

Warning people of the dangers of entering water, a statement on the festival's website reads: "Tides on the north Cornish coast are powerful and can change quickly. Always check conditions before entering the water. Never swim alone or in the dark."

Teenager Lukas Skinner from Cornwall winning the surf contest at Boardmasters in 2024(Image: Geoff Tydeman / SWNS)

The incident on Fistral Beach, in which a man in his 60s and a woman in her 30s lost their lives, took place around 9.30pm yesterday.

This means the tragedy occurred after lifeguards had finished for the day. Fistral beach is lifeguarded by RNLI between April 3 and November 1, with patrols in place between 10am and 6pm every day.

RNLI states: "Fistral is a long, sandy beach, backed by rocks and cliffs. It’s well-known for being one of the best surfing beaches in Europe, attracting large numbers of surfers, as well as families, tourists and locals. There are plenty of seafront facilities."

Fistral Beach is lifeguarded by RNLI(Image: Getty Images)

Jeff Reines, the editor of the Mirror's sister title Cornwall Live, says the potential danger of even getting near the often turbulent tide is often underestimated at Fistral Beach.

He writes for The Mirror: "It's the occurrence Cornwall locals most dread - but sadly also most expect - when summer rolls around.

"While there is no doubt, and history proves, even people who live here and know the sea can lose their lives in seconds, because it can be THAT unpredictable.

"We lose friends and family members who we are convinced know what they are dealing with when they step into the water. Or even near the water, as in this tragic case.

"We wouldn't suggest at this stage that the man and woman are certain to be tourists; we just don't know yet and it's an unfair presumption, even if many locals would consider it a safe one.

"But the potential danger of even just getting near the often turbulent tide is commonly underestimated by visitors, and in the week the summer holidays have started, it's unfathomably sad to see it emphasised in this horrific way.

"And it's not like it's a remote corner of our county or unknown shore among our 300 beaches - this is unarguably one of our best known spots, largely for surfing but also for families - local and visiting - to enjoy the best of what Cornwall has to offer.

"Our thoughts are with the loved ones of this pair, and also on hoping it's not a scenario that repeats itself this 'silly' season, as we call it, albeit a term that feels flippantly insensitive given the gravity of what we have witnessed, and what our heroic emergency services have had to deal with once again."

The water temperature at Fistral Beach yesterday reached 18.3C, with the average for July being 16.2C.

Waves peaked at just over 2m yesterday, with the state of the sea at the time of the incident rated as 4 by seatemperature.info. This means moderate force, suggesting the sea surface wind picking up speed and small waves becoming longer.

Wave height in this category ranges between 1.25 and 2.5 metres (4ft1in to 8ft2in). Today, the water temperature is slightly lower, currently standing at 18.1C.

Wave height has peaked at just over 1m and the state of the sea will remain rated 3 for the rest of the day. This is the equivalent of a gentle breeze, meaning the sea surface is broken with large wavelets.

The wave height ranges from 0.5 to 1.25 metres (1ft8in to 4ft1in).

The water temperature at Fistral Beach is above average(Image: Western Morning News)

The woman and man who died at Fistral Beach are said to be a father and his daughter, with the pair understood to have been on holiday in Cornwall.

The Sun reports that one witness - a local beach artist - claims the man had "gone in to try and rescue his daughter".

Sand Phoenix, 33, said he "sprinted" up to help, jabbing the man with an adrenaline pen he had to hand and trying to give him oxygen.

His attempts to save the man's life were in vain, however, as the victim's lungs were "full of water".

Mr Phoenix, who was sleeping on the beach at the time of the incident, said: "He had been pulled out of the water but had been in there about seven minutes.

"The paramedics arrived and carried on trying to give CPR. He was still wearing his trousers so I don’t think he had been swimming.

"It looks like they had been walking near the rocks and had fallen in."

Another bystander explained he heard shouts for help and saw a woman lying face down in the water when he went down the cliff.

The brave man went into the sea fully clothed in an attempt to grab the woman, who was being bashed against rocks by waves.

Another witness told the Sun: "A woman was desperately trying to ring someone but couldn’t get through [and] was in tears.

"There was a helicopter overhead and there was a lifeboat in the water.

"They recovered one body on the beach, while the other one was brought up the cliff.

"Another man came up soaking wet and in a foil blanket. He knew them and had been trying to help. I’m just in shock, it was awful to watch."

Devon and Cornwall Police have now confirmed that the woman who lost her life at Fistral Beach was aged in her 30s, while the man was in his 60s.

Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

The full police statement reads: "Police were called by the South Western Ambulance Service at around 9.45pm on Sunday 26 July following reports that two people had been recovered from the water at Fistral Beach, Newquay.

"Coastguard rescue teams from Newquay, Padstow and St Agnes, and lifeboats from Newquay RNLI and a HM Coastguard helicopter were also in attendance.

"Sadly, a woman in her 30s and a man in his 60s were pronounced deceased at the scene. Their families have been informed, and our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult time.

"A cordon was also put in place while the emergency services worked at the scene. This has since been removed.

"A file will be prepared for HM Coroner."

A view of Fistral Beach this morning(Image: Cornwall Live)

People at Fistral Beach this morning were not sure if the man and woman who lost their lives were local or holiday makers, CornwallLive reports.

Surfer Mason, 38 and from Bournemouth, said: "There are very strong rips off the rocks there, it's a real shame."

The Bunn family from West Sussex added: "It's really sad. We were at the headland and could see the helicopter and lights from there. It looked like there were lots of ambulances up on the hill."

The latest tragedy comes after two men were pulled from the sea at a popular beach off the south coast yesterday afternoon.

Emergency services were called to West Wittering beach after two adults were seen in the water near Beach Café.

Two men were pulled from the sea with paramedics treating both but despite the best efforts of medics, one of the men, aged 55, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Read the full story here.

Rescuers at West Wittering Beach(Image: eddie mitchell)

Below are some pictures taken by CornwallLive of Fistral Beach in Newquay this morning.

It has been confirmed a police cordon was put in place at the time of the incident but this has since been removed.

Police today confirmed the man and woman who died were a father and daughter from Doncaster(Image: Cornwall Live)

A police cordon was put in place on Fistral Beach after the double tragedy but has since been lifted(Image: Cornwall Live)

A view of Fistral Beach this morning(Image: Cornwall Live)

HM Coastguard Padstow has issued a statement on the incident in which a man and a woman lost their lives at Fistral Beach in Newquay.

It reads: "The team were tasked to join Newquay coastguard search & rescue team with an incident in South Fistral.

"Newquay RNLI Lifeboats, Coastguard Rescue helicopter 924, Devon & Cornwall Police, South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, Critical Care Team and HMCG duty SCOO S11D were also in attendance.

"St Agnes Coastguard Search & Rescue Team were tasked later into the evening and were stood down on route.

"No further details will be provided. Our thoughts are with those involved.

"If you see someone in trouble on, or near, the coast, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard. Stay safe."

Around 40 people have lost their lives to drowning so far this summer.

There were 29 drownings in May and June and a further eight as of July 13 following extended periods of heatwaves and very warm weather.

Heatwaves have been raging throughout Europe and have been linked to hundreds of deaths across the continent.

Nearly 100 people, mainly young men, died by drowning in Germany last month, local authorities said.

The Mirror has launched the Save Lives For Sam water safety campaign to tackle the UK's growing drowning crisis. Backed by MPs, Olympic champions, national water safety organisations and bereaved families, the campaign is calling for urgent action to make our waters safer.

That includes compulsory water safety lessons in schools, a nationwide public awareness campaign, better lifesaving equipment at high-risk waterways, the introduction of Sam's Law, and a dedicated Minister for Water Safety. Find out more about the campaign and how you can support it here.

The Mirror's Save Lives for Sam campaign is calling for urgent action to make our waters safer

The full HM Coastguard statement confirming the deaths of a man and a woman reads: "Police were called by the South Western Ambulance Service at around 9.45pm on Sunday 26 July following reports that two people had been recovered from the water at Fistral Beach, Newquay.

"Emergency services attended and a cordon was put in place, which has since been removed.

"Sadly, a man and a woman were pronounced deceased at the scene.

"Their families have been informed, and our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult time.

"A file will be prepared for HM Coroner."

Police, paramedics and coastguard crews were all called to Fistral Beach on Sunday(Image: Cornwall Live)

A man and a woman have been pronounced dead, HM Coastguard has confirmed.

Their next of kin have been informed.

More to follow.