A British man has died while trying to save his two young daughters after they got into difficulties off a Portuguese beach.
The 45-year-old had been trying to help his girls, aged nine and 12, when he got into trouble himself.
Rescuers tried to save the man from the surf at Calada Beach in Encarnacao about an hour’s drive north-west of Lisbon, just after 2pm Thursday.
But he was already suffering cardiac arrest when he was pulled from the sea by surfers, according to local reports.
Locals and a nurse at the beach spent nearly an hour trying to save him before he was tragically pronounced dead at the scene.
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Portuguese daily Correio da Manha described the victim as a Dubai-born national who was travelling on a British passport.
His daughters were said to have got into difficulties because of the strong current and were taken to Santa Maria Hospital in Lisbon for a medical examination.
Lifeguard patrols on the beach are not due to begin until June 12.
Calada Beach – Praia da Calada in Portuguese – is a long sandy beach in the shape of a seashell.
The popular surfers’ spot is surrounded by tall cliffs which protect it from strong winds.
The Mirror has approached the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for more information.
The tragedy comes on the same day Portugal was removed from the UK’s travel green list, dashing summer holidaymakers’ plans.
The destination was moved to the amber list and seven more countries were added to the red list.
The move angered the travel industry, as airlines and tourism sector bosses blasted the government for encouraging a return to travel abroad then flip-flopping just weeks later.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced the travel updates on Thursday afternoon, insisting the government’s decision was driven by focus on achieving the June 21 unlocking goal.
Mr Shapps said the UK’s roadmap out of lockdown was the priority, adding officials were taking a ‘safety first’ approach due to concerns about emerging new variants.
Public Health England confirmed today the Indian variant had overtaken the Kent strain to become the most common variant in the UK.
Coronavirus case numbers topped 5,000 today, as infection rates continued to rise slightly.
But nearly 40million have now received a first dose of a Covid vaccine – just over three-quarters of the UK’s adult population.