One policeman has died and two colleagues are missing after they went into the sea off Orzán beach in the early hours of this morning in an attempt to recue a Slovakian student, who is also still missing.

The Slovakian student, Tomas Pelicky, was in Spain as part of the Erasmus exchange programme. He had been swimming in the water with two friends after partying on the beach as part of a local fiesta, when a massive wave swept him away.  His two friends, both Spaniards, tried and failed to rescue him, but managed to get out of the sea safely and raise the alarm.  One of them has been taken to hospital with symptoms of hypothermia.

Two police officers 38-year-old Javier López López from A Coruña and 35-year-old Rodrigo Maseda, from Burela (Lugo) tried to rescue Pelicky, but were also swept away by the waves.  A third officer, 34-year-old José Antonio Villamor from Friol (Lugo), went in after his colleagues, but met the same fate.

The body of Javier López López was found at 09:00 hours. Despite waves of up to five metres, a full rescue operation is still underway, with four helicopters, seven police rescue boats and several ambulances in attendance, although hopes of finding survivors are now starting to fade.  The Mayor of A Coruña, Carlos Negreira, is also on the scene.