15-year-old pulled from sea dies

The number of people in Wells had been swelled by a Tamil festival

A 15-year-old boy has died and an 11-year-old was rescued after both were swept out to sea off the Norfolk coast.

The younger boy was pulled from the sea near Wells-Next-The-Sea by an onlooker, police say.

However the teenager was swept further off shore and was eventually winched aboard an RAF helicopter after a major search operation located him.

He was taken to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, but died 30 minutes after he arrived.

The emergency services were called after a witness saw two boys in the sea at 1630 BST. police say.

Child rescued

But the second had a longer ordeal and was almost carried into the open sea by the current before he was spotted by the helicopter just before 1800 BST.

The search involved a local inshore lifeboat, coastguard and an air rescue helicopter, police helicopter and police officers on foot.

The boys are believed to have been in the town for a Tamil Festival.

A police officer estimated that around 40,000 people had been in Wells during the day for the festival.

One witness, Fiona Walker, told BBC News 24: "It [the weather] has been considerably warmer today and there have been a lot of people down in the water."

Police say the boy will be named on Monday, after his next of kin are informed.