Seven people died in open water across the United Kingdom over a recent weekend, as hot weather persisted. Among the deceased were a father and his daughter who drowned off the coast of Newquay, a popular surfing destination.
The incidents occurred in various locations, including Cornwall, West Sussex, North Wales, and Scotland. In Cornwall, the father and daughter were reported to have fallen into the water near a rocky area of Fistral Beach around 9:30 p.m. on a Sunday. Emergency services, including the coastguard, responded, but both were pronounced dead at the scene. Witnesses described the sea as rough with strong winds and large waves.
In West Wittering, West Sussex, a man died after getting into difficulty in the sea on Sunday afternoon. Emergency services were called to the beach following concerns for two adults in the water. Both were pulled from the sea and treated by paramedics, but one was pronounced dead at the scene. The other man was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure.
Further tragedies unfolded in Wales, where one of two friends was found dead after they took inflatable kayaks to the beach near Pwllheli. Connor Parfitt, 24, was found deceased on a beach in Aberystwyth on Sunday afternoon. His friend, Simon Wilson, remains missing, and a search operation has been called off.
In Scotland, two women died after entering Loch Fyne. Emergency services were alerted around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday following reports of divers in difficulty. A 26-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene, and a subsequent search recovered the body of a 24-year-old woman. Police Scotland stated the deaths are being treated as unexplained.
These recent deaths bring the total number of open water fatalities across the UK to over 40 since May, a period coinciding with successive hot weather. Forecasters indicated that another heatwave was expected to hit parts of southern England with temperatures potentially reaching as high as 33C.