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Briton and Italian die in beach rescue near Brindisi | Briton and Italian die in beach rescue near Brindisi |
(35 minutes later) | |
A British man and a beach worker have died at an Italian beach after they went to help the tourist's daughter who got into difficulties in rough seas. | |
Italian reports say the young girl had been playing in the sea with her grandfather at a beach at Ostuni on the south-east coast near Brindisi. | Italian reports say the young girl had been playing in the sea with her grandfather at a beach at Ostuni on the south-east coast near Brindisi. |
When the pair struggled in the high current, the girl's father and the local worker rushed to their aid. | |
They too were overcome by the waves and rescuers struggled to reach them. | They too were overcome by the waves and rescuers struggled to reach them. |
The girl and her grandfather were eventually brought to safety. | The girl and her grandfather were eventually brought to safety. |
The British tourist, aged 48, has not yet been identified but the local worker has been named as Martino Maggi, 49. In a statement the UK foreign office said it was "supporting the family of a British man following his death". | |
Notorious for northerly winds | Notorious for northerly winds |
The incident unfolded at about 10:00 (08:00 GMT) on Thursday, at Bosco Verde beach. | |
Winds in the area were gusting at between 10 and 15 knots, reports say. | Winds in the area were gusting at between 10 and 15 knots, reports say. |
Officials say the sea there is notorious for the high north-easterly wind (Mistral) and local reports suggest the two men who died were unable to get back to the shore because of the strong current. | Officials say the sea there is notorious for the high north-easterly wind (Mistral) and local reports suggest the two men who died were unable to get back to the shore because of the strong current. |
"That stretch of coastline unfortunately isn't new to this kind of tragedy," Giuseppe Chiarelli of Brindisi port authority told Rai TV. | "That stretch of coastline unfortunately isn't new to this kind of tragedy," Giuseppe Chiarelli of Brindisi port authority told Rai TV. |