A British tourist has drowned after his first swim in the sea at a holiday hotspot.

The 55-year-old landed in Mauritius on Sunday and was staying on the west side of the island in the Henessy Park Hotel in Ebène.

Local media reports he went to the nearby Flic en Flac lagoon for his first swim and got into difficulty in the water.

He was pulled out of the water by a French national on a boat. However, efforts to revive him failed and he was taken to a local hospital, where he was declared dead.

He is among three people who drowned in the strong swell, with three others still missing.

Rescue efforts by the coast guard have been undermined by rough winds and waves of up to four metres.

A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office told GB News: "We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Mauritius and are in contact with the local authorities."

Three other people have recently drowned on the East African island due to the strong swells being experienced across the island.

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It comes after another British tourist died earlier this week from a heart attack moments after he jumped into the Red Sea on a sightseeing boat trip.

The 73-year-old man was with a group of friends in Marmaris, Turkey, when he went to cool off in the water. Medics say he died following shock from the cold water.

Back in March, a father was carried away by huge waves as he tried to save his drowning son.

The 49-year-old was attempting to rescue the 15-year-old boy from crushing waves in the Pomponette lagoon on the south coast of the island.

Lifeguards managed to successfully rescue his son but failed to locate the man for two days after he first went missing.