AN ELDERLY woman died after being pulled from the sea.

An air ambulance was called to the scene yesterday afternoon.

Lifeguard, ambulance and police also attended the scene and an area of beach was cordoned off.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: “At 3.35pm on Monday emergency services went to Eastbourne seafront where a woman had been pulled from the sea on to the shore.

“Paramedics attended to her but sadly she was confirmed dead at the scene.

“The body was clothed and is that of a woman in her late seventies or early eighties. She has not yet been identified

“There are no suspicious circumstances and the Coroners Officer is continuing enquiries. “

Head lifeguard Garry Cairns praised the lifeguard crew who pulled the woman from the water.

He said they attempted to resuscitate her for more than ten minutes and used a defibrillator on the woman, but she was confirmed dead at the scene.