Father and son surfers drown off Cornwall

A fatheR and son on a surfing holiday were drowned by a freak current off Cornwall yesterday. The two men, one in his 20s and the other in his 30s, were pulled out to sea at Holywell Bay, Newquay by a rip tide at about 7pm.

Falmouth coastguards scrambled the Royal Navy rescue helicopter at Culdrose and member of the public swam into the treacherous waters to retrieve one of the men.

However both surfers, who have not been identified, were pronounced dead when they arrived at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro. Ken Bazeley, of Falmouth Coastguard, said the men were believed to be from outside the area.