Man almost died as he tried to save Irish wife who drowned off the coast of southern France

The woman, who was originally from Dublin but lived in Perpignan, drowned in Leucate in the Aude region on Friday.

According to French media, she had been at lunch with her partner at a restaurant along the beach before going for a swim.

When the woman, who was in her 40s, got into difficulty, her husband, who was also swimming, was able to get her back to shore while struggling to keep her in his arms.

Even though he also almost drowned during the incident, he was able to perform CPR on his wife while waiting for emergency services to arrive.

It had been reported that swimmers had been urged to take extra care in the water due to the swells and strong waves along the Aude coastline on the Mediterranean last week.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has said they are aware of the case and are providing consular assistance to the family.