A mum has tragically died on Southbourne beach after being pulled from the sea by members of the public.
On Monday June 22 police were called to the popular beach after reports of a medical emergency. A beach hut owner raised the alarm after he reportedly witnessed a woman having a medical emergency while in the water with her son. He said members of the public were quick to step in and help the woman.
Witnesses say they saw paramedics performing CPR as emergency services – including a helicopter – rushed to the popular promenade, reports the Bournemouth Echo.
View 2 ImagesPart of the beach was closed while police dealt with the incident
A spokesperson for Dorset police said: “At 2.21pm on Monday 22 June 2026, Dorset Police were called to assist with a medical emergency at Southbourne promenade to clear an area to enable emergency services to attend safely. Sadly, a short time later a woman was pronounced dead at the scene.”
They continued: “Her next of kin is aware and the coroner has been notified. The death is not being treated as suspicious.”
A spokesperson for the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) said: “We were called at 14:17 hrs on Monday 22 June to an incident near Boscombe. We sent two double-crewed land ambulances, an air ambulance, a rapid response vehicle and an operations officer to the scene.”
It comes as thousands of Brits rush to the coast to soak up the sun this week amind soaring temperatures. The Met Office has issued a rare red weather warning for Wednesday and Thursday in the face of extreme heat and humidity. Amber warnings have also been issued.
The weather forecaster said that in this week’s heatwave, parts of England and Wales are likely to see temperatures exceed 37C in the shade and could even see them rise to 38C to 40C in some places.
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Almost 100 areas will be affected by the severe weather conditions, as people have been urged to keep out of the sun between 11am and 3pm, when the sun is strongest.
Record breaking temperatures in May brought tragedy across the UK, with a series of accidental drownings leaving families and communities across the country devastated. A total of 19 people lost their lives in open water during the heatwave, including 13 children.
Swimming in rivers, lakes or the sea, can present unexpected challenges even to strong swimmers, and the Royal Life Saving Society warns that 90 percent of accidental drownings in the last five years have all taken place in open water.