British tourist drowns in rough seas on holiday in Italy

Updated
British tourist drowns in rough seas on holiday in Italy
British tourist drowns in rough seas on holiday in Italy


A 46-year-old British tourist drowned in front of his family while swimming in rough seas on holiday in Italy.

Brian Kent, from London, died within minutes of jumping in the water at popular tourist resort Sperlonga, located 90 minutes south of Rome, on Friday.

According to the Daily Mail, Mr Kent was with his wife Sally and a number of other family members.

Mirella Gagliardi, owner of the Hotel Aurora, told the newspaper: "It all happened right in front of our hotel. The man who died had arrived with his wife and group of other British people in the morning to spend the day by the sea.

"They had a very late lunch and ate and drank quite a bit, then they decided to go for a swim.

"The area of beach where they swam is public so there is no lifeguard but there was a red flag warning that and the sea was rough - it wasn't the right sort of day to go into the water."

A police spokesman said: "We were called to the scene and arrived along with paramedics and the coastguard, to a man who had got into difficulties in the sea. He was pulled from the water and cardiac massage was carried out but there was nothing that could be done.

"His body was taken to a local hospital and his family spent the night in the hotel. The magistrate ruled there was no need for an autopsy and the body will be repatriated back to Britain."

The Foreign Office told the Evening Standard it was providing consular assistance to Mr Kent's family.

A spokesman said: "We can confirm the death of a British national and are providing consular assistance to his family."

The incident comes after a five-year-old girl drowned at a hotel pool on holiday in Egypt.

Chloe Johnson, from London, died in a waterpark at the Coral Sea Waterworld Hotel in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

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