A woman in her 60s has died after venturing into the sea off the Lancashire coast in an attempt to save her pet dog, which had become trapped in the water.
Lancashire Police confirmed that a man, also aged in his sixties, is fighting for his life in hospital following the incident at Rossall Beach in Thornton Cleveleys.
Officers were alerted at 8.31pm by the ambulance service, which reported that two individuals had been pulled from the water by coastguard crews.
According to police, the couple encountered difficulties after wading into the sea to reach their stranded animal near Fleetwood Beach Cafe.
HM Coastguard Fleetwood reached the pair shortly after 8.30pm, bringing them ashore where emergency responders administered immediate medical attention.
Despite receiving treatment at the scene, the woman was later declared dead at hospital.
A police spokeswoman said the couple were "treated at the scene, but sadly the woman, aged in her 60s, was pronounced dead at hospital".
Efforts to locate and inform her next of kin are continuing, the force added.
Officers attended the beach in Thornton Cleveleys
|HM COASTGUARD FLEETWOOD
Blackpool RNLI, North West Ambulance Service and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service also attended the emergency at the Lancashire coast.
The pet dog, whose predicament had prompted the rescue attempt, was retrieved from the water unharmed.
The man, who is believed to be in his sixties, was transported to hospital where his condition remains critical.
Police have confirmed that the dog was recovered "safe and well" from the incident.
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Coastguard teams were quick to the scene
|HM COASTGUARD
Two coastguard officers who carried out the rescue operation were themselves taken to hospital as a precautionary measure after swallowing seawater during the emergency response.
Lancashire Police stated there are "no suspicious circumstances surrounding the woman's death".
Officers also indicated that a report would be submitted to the coroner in due course.
The tragedy occurred during a period that has seen at least 15 fatalities connected to water across the country, following a spell of warm weather.
Chiedza Nyanjowa sadly died in hospital
|CHESHIRE POLICE
The hot weather has attracted many people to open-water swimming, resulting in a number of deaths in South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Cornwall, Hampshire, Warwickshire, Cheshire, Pembrokeshire, Lincolnshire and Lancashire over recent days.
These include a 72-year-old woman who died after being pulled from the water at West Angle Bay beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales, on Sunday and a 13-year-old boy, understood to be Reco Puttock, who died after getting into difficulty at Leadbeater Dam, near Halifax, West Yorkshire, on Monday.
It comes after police said a 15-year-old girl had died in hospital on Saturday after getting into difficulties in the sea off the coast of Merseyside on Bank Holiday Monday.
Chiedza Nyanjowa, from Cheshire, was taken to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital after swimming at Formby beach, Merseyside Police said.
In a statement, the force said the family would like to express their gratitude to people who had helped the teenager who they described as a "bubbly person" who loved cooking and wanted to be a nurse so she could "give back".