Mother's beach plea as son dies

Ryan's mother described him as "truly an angel"

The mother of a four-year-old boy who drowned when swept out to sea in Cornwall has issued an emotional plea for parents to guard their children.

Victoria Pitney, from Plymouth, described her son Ryan - who was knocked off rocks by a wave at Portheras Cove, Pendeen- as an "angel".

The beach where he died on Sunday had been closed to the public three weeks ago, it emerged on Monday.

Desperate attempts to rescue him by his mother and a family friend failed.

For all of the strength that a mother possesses... I could not reach him Victoria Pitney

She said: "Children playing by the edge of the sea seems like such an innocent thing and the beach was always where Ryan seemed at his most joyful.

"This is now a plea: please, please guard your children.

"The wave that took him came suddenly, and the sea was so strong that for all of the strength that a mother possesses, in that moment, I could not reach him".

A Royal Navy Sea King helicopter from RNAS Culdrose near Helston managed to pull Ryan from the water, but he died on arrival at Treliske Hospital.

The council had closed the beach three weeks ago

His mother and her friend were also transferred to hospital suffering from hypothermia and Ryan's 10-year-old brother, who is believed to have watched the accident from the beach, needed treatment for shock.

Earlier this month Penwith District Council closed the cove, which is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, and put up warning signs after unusually large shards of metal from a wreck were found on the beach.

In a statement released on Monday Ms Pitney described her son as "truly an angel".

She said: "He was the essence of everything that was beautiful in humankind".