A woman has died following a medical emergency on a popular beach in Dorset.
Emergency services were called to Southbourne beach on Monday, June 22, at 2.21pm, but the individual was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after their arrival.
Dorset Police confirmed the incident, with a force spokesman stating: “Her next of kin is aware and the coroner has been notified. The death is not being treated as suspicious.”
A beach hut owner told the Bournemouth Echo that he called 999 after seeing the woman having a “medical emergency” in the sea before being recovered from the water by members of the public.
Another eyewitness told the paper she saw the emergency services arrive and added: “They were doing CPR for ages and ages, for an awfully long time.”
The incident occurs as the Met Office warns a “heat-dome” is poised to bring sweltering temperatures of up to 40C to parts of England and Wales in the middle of the week.
These extreme conditions are predicted to surpass the June record set in Hampshire in 1976 by several degrees, potentially nearing the UK’s all-time high of 40.3C, which was recorded in July 2022.
A red weather warning for extreme heat will come into effect at 9am on Wednesday, covering an extensive area from London across to Somerset and Swansea, and extending northwards towards Birmingham. This severe heat is expected to persist until at least Thursday.
An amber warning for extreme heat is currently in place for the South of England and Midlands, remaining active until midnight tonight.
The highest overnight temperature was 20.4C in Gosport, Hampshire, while eight other places recorded a tropical night where temperatures do not fall below 20C.
These were Crosby, in Merseyside, Plymouth and North Wyke, in Devon, Aberporth, Cardiff and St Athan in Wales, Hurn in Dorset and the Isle of Wight.
During the last heatwave in late May and early June, at least 15 people died in open water across the UK.
The Royal Life Saving Society urged people to “stop and think” before getting into the water in response to the deaths, most of whom were children.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned of the increased risk of cold water shock, which is the body’s natural physical reaction to sudden immersion in cold water.
The response is immediate and can lead to drowning, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said. Anyone who suddenly enters cold water is at risk, especially if they accidentally fall in or jump in. Cold water shock can affect anyone regardless of swimming ability.
