Man dies after being swept into sea with family during storms on Newquay beach

The man died after being recovered from the water with his wife and children

Fistral Beach in Newquay on August 10, 2016 (Getty Images)

A man has died after being swept into the sea as he sat on rocks with his family in Cornwall.

The family, from Surrey, were on holiday in Newquay when the tragic accident happened at South Fistral Beach on Friday.

Police said the man, his wife and their three children were washed into the sea by a large wave at around 5.20am, sparking a rescue operation involving a helicopter, lifeboats, air ambulance and police.

The RNLI pulled the mother and father, in their 30s, from the water and carried out CPR on the man before he was airlifted for treatment.

He died on Friday evening in Treliske Hospital, where his wife remains with minor injuries.

Their two-year-old daughter was also rescued from the water and taken to hospital, while their two other children managed to clamber back on to the rocks and sustained minor injuries.

Detective Constable Jarrod Yewen, from Devon and Cornwall Police, said: “This is a tragic incident and our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time.

“We are investigating the circumstances of the incident and we would like to speak to anyone who was on the beach at the time.”

The beach was being lashed by 10ft waves on Friday, as a summer storm brought gales and treacherous seas to southern England and Wales.

Public events including the Bournemouth Air Festival have been cancelled over safety fears and police have been appealing for people not to put themselves at risks with “storm selfies” at the coast.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning across most of England and Wales, with winds expected to reach 40mph to 50mph inland as a low-pressure system moves in from the west.