The death of two men who went into the sea to help two children has prompted calls for more lifeguard provision.
Cleveland Police were called to Seaton Carew beach in Hartlepool at about 15:45 BST on Sunday. The force said the RNLI brought the men out of the water, but they were pronounced dead a short time later.
The beach is currently covered by lifeguards every day during the summer school holidays, but local residents said the service was needed for longer.
Hartlepool Borough Council has been contacted for a comment.
The local authority was recruiting for eight beach lifeguards and four beach lifeguard supervisors earlier this year, to cover the beach from 18 July to 1 September.
Seaton Carew Independent councillor Sue Little has called for the service to be put in place from May until the end of September.
A petition urging for the provision to be extended outside the school holidays has also received more than 1,600 signatures.
