UPDATED: A postmortem examination is to be carried out on the man who died after an attempt to rescue a seven-year-old boy from rough seas off Chesil Beach in Dorset coast went tragically wrong.

The would-be rescuer, a 35-year-old man from Blackpool in Lancashire, who is reported to have been fully clothed, got into difficulties in the water as he attempted to help a lifeguard to reach the boy who had been swept out to sea by large waves.

The seven-year-old boy from Stroud in Gloucestershire is understood to have been playing in the water with his 11-year-old-sister when he got into trouble at around 11am on Thursday morning.

The boy was eventually rescued from the sea by the 22-year-old lifeguard. Initially taken to Dorset County Hospital, the boy was transferred to Southampton General Hospital where he is in a critical condition.

A coastguard helicopter and lifeboats were called in to assist in the rescue operation. The man was rescued by a lifeboat crew, but later died in hospital.

Sea conditions at the time were described as “rough” with a strong wind that whipped up high waves which hampered rescue attempts from the shore.

The boy’s mother and a lifeguard who had also attempted to reach the boy were also taken to hospital for treatment where they were treated for minor injuries.

Dorset Police who described the incident as “tragic” have appealed for any witnesses to come forward.

The dead man was later named as Michael Beatwell (35) from Poulton-le-Fylde.

(SP)