British holidaymaker dies trying to save daughter

A 48-year-old British holidaymaker has died while trying to save his family from being swept away in the waves off the coast of southern Italy.

An Italian man also lost his life in the tragedy at a popular beach near Ostuni, Puglia, yesterday morning.

The British father, named in Italian media as Simon Alexander Pearson, 48, reportedly noticed his daughter and her grandfather having difficulty and jumped in to help them, along with an employee of a nearby beach establishment, Martino Maggi, 49.

The girl and her grandfather made it safely back to shore. Emergency responders were unable to revive the two men.