Two Britons drowned off Spanish coast

Two British men have drowned off Spain's Costa del Sol, it emerged today.

The bodies of Robert Wells, 75, and Jonathan Wells, 45, believed to be his son, were found off the coast yesterday.

Both died after the younger man tried to save his father who had got into difficulties in the water, according to reports.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We can confirm the death of two British nationals in the region of Granada on September 7.

"Next of kin are aware and we are providing consular assistance to the family."

Local police said the men's bodies had been found floating in the water off Almunecar in the region of Andalusia in the south of the country.

A Civil Protection boat was launched but the pair could not be saved.

A spokesman said they had drowned in rough sea.

The local emergency services department said a third person had plunged into the sea to try to rescue the two men from the waves, but had been unable to do so.

A spokeswoman said: "We received a call at 4pm (local time) yesterday from someone who told us that first one and then two people were in the sea and were unable to get out.

"We dispatched emergency services to the scene and the Almunecar Civil Protection later told us two people had died.

"Eyewitnesses on the beach told us that a third person had gone into the sea to try and rescue them but he could not reach them."

The two men were believed to be on holiday with friends in the popular tourist area when the tragedy happened.

Their bodies were found about 150m from the shore, Spanish press reported.

Spaniard Jesus Balderas, 25, told local reporters he had tried to save the men.

He said: "The first person to enter the water was the older man, who was drowning, and then the younger man went in to save him and neither came back out.

"I went in to help them but the older man was already injured but I saw he wasn't calling for help or anything."

The Spaniard re-emerged from the water when he realised it was "almost impossible" to rescue the two Britons, he said.

Another onlooker also entered the water to try to help, he added, but he could not save the men either.