Man dies after going for swim off Brancaster beach

The man, in his 70s, was seen going into the sea on a busy Brancaster beach on Saturday afternoon but did not return.

The emergency services were alerted and a major search operation was launched, involving a helicopter and a hovercraft.

A major search operation was launched by the coastguard after a 70-year-old man went missing at Brancaster beach (Image: Matthew Usher)

His body was found in the water around two hours after he was last seen.

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The tragedy comes amid a spate of water deaths in the county.

The previous evening, a man in his 20s died after going for a midnight swim on Wroxham Broad.

He had gone out in a boat with a friend in the dark and got into the water but did not return to the vessel.

At just after 11pm on Friday, August 16, the Coastguard was alerted to a person in the water at Wroxham Broad (Image: Newsquest)

And on Tuesday, police recovered the body of a man in his 30s from the Wensum, near Costessey, on the outskirts of Norwich. Officers believe he had also gone for a night-time swim, in the early hours of the day.

The deaths have prompted warnings, with organisations such as the Broads Authority issuing water safety guidance.

After the Wroxham death, the Broads Authority said: "This tragic incident highlights the importance of remaining vigilant regarding water safety."

The body of a man has been found by emergency services searching the River Wensum in Costessey today (Image: Newsquest)

The RNLI advises that people reduce risks on the water by trying to be aware of their limits and not taking risks, including staying in a group.

In open water, they advise people to be aware of tides, wear a flotation device, carry a means of calling for help and always tell someone on the shore where you are going and what time you expect to be back.

The Brancaster tragedy led to the cancellation of a 'flashmob' event organised by the National Coastwatch Institution which was to have been held on the beach on Sunday.

In a statement, it said: "There has been a serious incident on Brancaster beach and it feels inappropriate to celebrate at this time."

The event, which was to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the NCI, was held at Hunstanton RNLI station instead.

The man was seen entering the water at 1.20pm and the emergency services were contacted at 1.56pm.

His body was found at 3.15pm and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The death is not being treated as suspicious and a file is being prepared for the coroner.

READ MORE: ‘Danger to the public’: Beach closed due to sea defence works

The Wensum death came after police were called to the Hellesdon Mill Lane area at 2.30am on Tuesday to reports that a man had entered the water to go for a swim but not resurfaced.

Searches took place throughout the night and early morning involving police, firefighters, HM Coastguard and Norfolk Lowland Search and Rescue.

The body was found at around 10am. While the death is not believed to be suspicious, officers are continuing to investigate the exact circumstances of what happened.