A mother died after she tried to rescue her young sons as they were being swept out to sea, an inquest heard.
Alison Tooby, from Wellington, Somerset, was visiting Northcott Mouth near Bude in North Cornwall when she got into difficulty going after one of her sons.
The other son was also caught up in the strong rip current at the quiet beauty spot, on September 3 last year.
Brave beachgoers piled into the water to try and rescue the trio, with one witness commenting how those in the water were "thrown around like corks in a barrel".
The two boys were rescued and treated for shock, but Ms Tooby's lifeless body was pulled from the sea and she was later declared dead.
Coroner John Tomalin recorded a verdict of accidental death at the inquest in Bideford yesterday.
He said: "Alison knew the beach well and would not have knowingly put her boys in danger. Tragedy is the right word to describe this incident.
"I am sure Alison did as any parent would try to – enter the sea to rescue her children.
"I think this serves as a reminder that we must respect the sea and take care."
The coroner also praised the "selfless acts and heroism" of those who tried to save Ms Tooby and her sons.
Holidaymaker Simon Hill was among those who took part in the rescue after being alerted by a woman who spotted Ms Tooby, 53, in difficulty.
He said: "I saw a woman's head in the water. It looked as though she was in trouble.
"I could see two boys in the water, they were all far out.
"I swam towards the boy and I said 'You have to go in' (back to the shore). I was confident he could get himself in.
"He seemed remarkably calm and was paddling his way towards me.
"I looked to my right and I saw a woman, 50 yards away, face down.
"The tide was extremely strong and was pulling me out to sea. Alison appeared unresponsive."
The court heard lifeguard cover at the beach had ended the previous day, due to local schools returning that week and visitor numbers being low.
Walker Rosalind Arthur helped raise the alarm when she heard screams from the water.
She said she was stopped by one of the boys, who had made his way back to the shore, and said his mother and brother were stuck in the sea.
Experienced lifeguard Martin Fry was among the first on scene. He said conditions would have been difficult even for an experienced swimmer or surfer.
He described how the death had been sorely felt by the community, adding: "We have got a reputation for looking after our beaches and people. The whole community was devastated."
Ms Tooby's partner, Mike McGuffie, praised the actions of those who saved the boys' lives, and tried in vain to help their mother. He said: "I would like to thank everybody who went into the water to help. Having listened to this today, everybody was very brave and I thank them."
The coroner said the death was caused by drowning, but said an underlying heart condition would have made it difficult for Ms Tooby to cope with the sea that day.
