Portrush: Man dies after being pulled from the water

Image caption, The man was assisted out of the water by two pepole on a surfboard and was later pronounced dead, the police say

A man has died after being pulled from the water by surfers near Portrush, County Antrim.

The man was recovered from the water near West Strand and taken to hospital on Sunday evening.

He was later pronounced dead, the police said.

The police have commended the "heroic actions" of two members of the public who helped bring him to shore on a surfboard and attempted CPR.

In a statement, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) said they launched inshore and all-weather lifeboats after "a report of a person in difficulty in the water" at about 20:00 BST on Sunday.

The RLNI said "the casualty was assisted to shore by surfers" and handed over to the care of an ambulance crew.

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) said they responded to an incident in the Portstewart Road area of Portrush.

One emergency crew and a rapid response paramedic were dispatched to the scene.

Following assessment and initial treatment, one person was taken to Causeway hospital by ambulance, a NIAS spokeswoman said.