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Fisherman drowns after sea rescue bid

Laura Scott
Monday 12 August 2002 00:00 BST
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A man was swept to his death after diving into the sea to save a young couple who appeared to be drowning.

Mark Smithirst, 32, was among a group of people fishing off the sea wall close to the Metropole Hotel in Blackpool, Lancashire, early yesterday.

When cries for help were heard, and a man and a woman were spotted struggling in the waves, Mr Smithirst jumped into the sea while another member in the group threw a lifebelt into the water.

Rescue teams were called but by the time they arrived Craig Hirst, 25, and Sarah Churchill, 19, had already been pulled from the water by other members of the fishing group.

However, Mr Smithirst, from the Blackpool area, remained out of reach in the water and was quickly swept far out to sea. His body was later washed up on the beach near Blackpool's North Pier.

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: "The coastguard and police helicopter mounted a full search operation but sadly Mr Smithirst could not be found." Mr Smithirst's pet spaniel had gone with him on the fishing trip and the dog was later found waiting on the sea wall near to where his owner dived into the water.

The two people who were saved from the water came from the West Midlands area. They were not seriously hurt and were treated at the Blackpool Victoria Hospital for minor injuries and later released.

* Police are investigating the deaths of two men found in a bedsit yesterday afternoon. North Yorkshire Police were called to an address in Franklin Road, Harrogate, where two local men, aged 28 and 30, were found dead in a room.

A police spokesman said the room had been sealed off and inquiries had begun. Police believe the deaths were drug-related as items involved in drug abuse were recovered from the room.

The bodies have not yet been formally identified.

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