Woman dies trying to rescue dog from sea

A woman has died after trying to rescue her pet dog from the sea.

Lancashire Police said she and a man had got into difficulty after going into the water at Rossall Beach in Thornton Cleveleys "to rescue their dog, who had become stuck".

The coastguard rescued the pair just after 20:30 BST on Saturday, but the woman, in her 60s, died later in hospital.

Police said the man, also in his 60s, remained in a critical condition in hospital after the incident near Fleetwood Beach Cafe, while the dog was recovered "safe and well".

A police spokeswoman said the couple were "treated at the scene, but sadly the woman, aged in her 60s, was pronounced dead at hospital".

She added: "Enquiries to identify her next of kin are ongoing."

The force said there were "no suspicious circumstances surrounding the woman's death".

HM Coastguard Fleetwood said two people had been "brought ashore" at Rossall Beach and were "delivered immediate medical care".

Two coastguard officers who carried out the rescue were also taken to hospital as a precaution after ingesting sea water, it said.

Blackpool RNLI, North West Ambulance Service and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service also attended.

In the past week, there have been at least 15 water-related deaths, after a spell of hot weather.