Bomb disposal experts could be seen on a beach in north Cornwall yesterday where an explosion was carried out.

The Royal Navy Bomb Disposal team was called to Perranporth, to the Perran Sands (Penhale) end of the beach, after an explosive device was found.

St Agnes Coastguard Search and Rescue Team was also scrambled, to clear the area while the device was made safe.

It was one of three shouts for the coastguard volunteers on bank holiday Monday.

Earlier they were on a routine patrol when they were sent to Wheal Charlotte area near St Agnes, following reports of "several potential casualties" caught in a rip current.

A surfer was subsequently found to have been rescued by other surfers and the coastguards helped St Agnes RNLI Lifeboat crew and the coastguard Rescue 924 helicopter crew to get him aboard the aircraft to be flown to the Royal Cornwall Hospital for further treatment.

Read more: St Agnes rip tide leaves one airlifted to hospital

The coastguard team was also called out to Porthtowan, to help two people on boards in a rip current.

St Agnes RNLI had been called again also, and after a sweep of the beach by both emergency crews, and a conversation with the volunteer surf life saving club team on the beach, the coastguards were told that the surfers had recovered themselves.

Porthtowan was the scene of a serious incident yesterday, involving another person the sea

Police said said they were called at 2.30pm following reports that a man had been pulled from the water unconscious by surfers.

He was airlifted to the Royal Cornwall Hospital in a serious condition and was receiving treatment yesterday evening, with his next of kin present, said a force spokesperson.

It was one of three incidents reported by police as taking place on the Cornish coastline that day, with two other people dying.

Read next: Two die on Cornwall coast in multiple bank holiday incidents