Redcar Coastguards battled in vain to save the life of a swimmer at the weekend.

Ferdinand Rwe from Kln, a German national on holiday with his wife in the area, was swimming in the sea at Sandsend, near Whitby, on Saturday when he got into difficulty in the surf.

His wife asked a passer-by to call for help on their mobile and the Humber coastguards were then alerted at 3.45pm. As the Coastguard operator was taking details, Mrs Rwe came on the line and said that her husband was 64 years old but a strong swimmer.

As the Redcar Coastguard, who was only five minutes away, arrived on the scene the man was lost from sight and an RAF rescue helicopter was called. Redcar, Whitby and Scarborough coastguards, the two Whitby lifeboats and a police aircraft were also involved in the rescue operation to save the man.

But the man was already unconscious when he was winched from the sea and he was taken by helicopter to Scarborough hospital where he later died. It is unclear if the man died from drowning or from hypothermia.

Coastguard watch manager Mike Bill said: "All search units made a sterling effort in the rough sea conditions and it was unfortunate the outcome wasn't a better one.

"It enforces the fact that the sea remains a dangerous place and people should not swim in adverse conditions no matter how good a swimmer they think they are."