Cornwall scuba diving accident: Man dies and girl injured after incident near St Austell

Both pulled from the sea at East Portholland in Cornwall

Portholland Beach, Cornwall (Google maps)

A man has died and a 12-year-old girl has been hospitalised after a scuba diving accident in Cornwall.

A 45-year-old man was pulled from the sea along with a 12-year-old girl Portholland Beach near St Austell in Cornwall by members of the public on Tuesday, after they were seen getting into difficulty.

Police, Coastguard and ambulance staff arrived at the scene after being notified of the incident at around 5:12 pm, where the man was treated but declared dead.

The girl was taken to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth but is not in a serious condition, a police spokesperson said.

Devon and Cornwall police said the man and girl are understood to have been on a family holiday in the area.

Superintendent Ian Drummond-Smith said: “The family involved were from outside the area and are believed to have been holidaying in Cornwall.

“This appears to be a tragic scuba diving accident, and our thoughts are with the man’s relatives and friends at this time.”

A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokeswoman said the body received multiple emergency calls at around 3:45pm on Tuesday reporting the man and girl had been recovered from the water after getting into difficulty at Portholland Beach.

“Mevagissy Coastguard Rescue Team and the UK Coastguard search and rescue helicopter based at Newquay were sent to the scene, alongside the Devon and Cornwall Police, the South West Ambulance Service and a helimed.”

Police are investigating the incident and have informed the man’s next of kin.

The man’s death is the latest in a string of fatal incidents in the UK’s seas this summer. Last week five men died after being pulled from the sea at Camber Sands beach, and a man died near Newquay after being recovered from the water with his family on Saturday.

Additional reporting by PA