Crosby beach: Man dies after five men pulled from sea

A man has died after being pulled from the sea at a beach in Merseyside following a large rescue operation.

Five men, at least three in their 20s, got into difficulties at Crosby beach shortly after 19:00 BST on Tuesday.

Three of them were taken to hospital but one died a short time later, said Merseyside Police.

Another remains in a critical but stable condition while the other was discharged. The two others did not require any treatment.

The dead man's family have been informed and are being supported.

A member of the public called 999 after spotting five people in difficulty in the water and a rescue operation was launched involving the coastguard, RNLI, fire service, police and ambulance service.

Earlier, the RNLI had warned of the dangers of open water swimming after six people in England died in the last few days.

A body was found on Tuesday of a 16-year-old boy who police believe fell into a river in Cheshire.

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk