A woman has died after getting swept out to sea at a popular beauty spot.
The unnamed victim, thought to be a holiday-maker visiting Croyde Bay in north Devon, got into difficulty shortly after 11am on New Year's Eve.
The coastguard were called at around 11.24am after receiving reports that a woman had been swept out to sea near Braunton.
A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said: "Despite search attempts by the coastguard helicopter and lifeboat crews she could not be found until she was removed from the water at around 1pm.
"She was airlifted to North Devon District Hospital where attempts to revive her were sadly unsuccessful.
"The woman's next-of-kin have been made aware.
"She is thought to have been visiting the region on holiday with family and appears to have been swimming or surfing when the tragedy occurred."
Waves of up to 12ft (3.5m) were reported on coastal forecasting website MagicSeaweed.com at the time of the incident.
Police said they will prepare a file for the coroner.
Croyde itself regularly features among "top 10" compilations for family holiday destinations, while the clean waves make it a haven for surfers.