A woman has died after two people were swept out to sea in rough waters off the Wirral coast.

A major rescue operation was launched off Kings Parade in New Brighton but the woman, in her 50s, died at the scene.

A man, in his 20s, was also pulled from the water, the Liverpool Echo reports.

He was rushed to hospital where he remains in a stable condition.

A dog was also removed from the water and is ‘safe and well’, following the rescue operation which involved the RNLI, Coastguard, Merseyside Police and North West Ambulance service who were all at the scene.

In a statement reported by the Echo this afternoon, a spokesman for Merseyside Police confirmed the tragic news: “Emergency services were called at 12.30pm and police and coastguard attended.

“Both people and a dog were removed from the water. Sadly, a woman in her 50s was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

“Her next of kin have been informed. Formal identification has not yet taken place.

“A man in his 20s was taken to hospital where he is in a stable condition. The dog is safe and well.

“At this stage there are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding the woman’s death.”

Detective Inspector Tara Denn said: “Enquiries are ongoing establish the full circumstances of what led to this tragic incident.

“We know there were a number of people in the area at the time who would have witnessed all or part of this incident. While we have spoken to some witnesses, we are keen to speak to others who can help us piece together what happened.

“If you were in the area at the time, please contact us – every bit of information, however small it may seem, could prove crucial.”