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Man dies rescuing family at Cornwall beach during heat wave

Published 26 May 2026

A man in his sixties died after entering the sea to rescue two family members who got into difficulty at a beach in Cornwall on Monday afternoon. The incident occurred at Tregirls Beach, near Padstow, as the United Kingdom experienced record-breaking May temperatures that drew crowds to waterways and prompted multiple warnings about the dangers of heat and cold water.

Emergency services, including police, ambulance crews, and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, were called to the scene at approximately 3:50 p.m. on May 25. According to a statement from Devon and Cornwall Police, the man suffered a cardiac arrest in the water. Other beachgoers successfully brought the two family members to safety. Despite the efforts of responders, the local man was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have informed his next of kin and stated the death is not being treated as suspicious. A file will be prepared for the coroner.

The tragedy coincided with a period of extreme heat across the UK. The Met Office provisionally recorded a temperature of 34.8 degrees Celsius at Kew Gardens in London on Monday, marking the hottest day in May since records began. The previous record of 32.8...

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