RIP: Elderly woman dies after getting into difficulty in the sea off Wicklow coast

Investigations are underway after an elderly woman died after getting into difficulty in the sea off the Wicklow coast.

The alarm was raised at around 2pm on Saturday and the Irish Coast Guard says it responded to calls to assist two people who were in the water at Magherabeg beach.

The rescue operation, which continued for several hours, involved Coast Guard units from Greystones and Wicklow while the Dublin-based Coast Guard helicopter and the RNLI all-weather lifeboat from Wicklow were also deployed.

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Gardaí have confirmed the body of the woman was subsequently located and removed from the water.

"The body of a woman, aged in her 70s, was recovered from the water at approximately 4pm. The body has since been removed to the mortuary in St Columcille’s Hospital in Loughlinstown, Co. Dublin where a post mortem will take place in due course," said a spokesperson.

Investigations into the incident are ongoing and a file will be prepared for the Coroner's Court.