A WOMAN who was dragged from the water at Mudeford Quay by rescue crews on Thursday night has died.

During a major rescue operation by emergency services a 43-year-old woman was recovered from the water and brought to shore.

But she died just a short while later at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital after she was transported by paramedics just before 10.30pm.

She was pronounced dead at around 1.40am.

A member of the public had called police to tell them her daughter had got out of her car and she could not find her.

It sparked a large-scale search and rescue mission by Dorset police, with the help of the RNLI, who could be seen panning across the car park for around an hour and a half before she was recovered.

Paramedics arrived just before 10am.

Onlookers described seeing the woman being resuscitated before she was taken away.

One resident at the quay said: “I heard a helicopter and I knew they were looking for someone.

“It was mayhem. They had it all there: life boats, at least two police cars, a paramedic’s car and an ambulance. It was at full tilt.

“I saw the lifeboat pull up outside, on the slipway, and someone was doing cardiac resuscitation in the life boat.

“They lifted her out onto the trolley and someone was still doing cardiac compressions until they reached the ambulance.”

Speaking about the emergency services she added: “My god they tried; they all worked very hard.”

Jay Saunders was at the quay with his partner Paula Hogan and her mother Alison when they saw what seemed like 100 emergency service personnel move from one end of the quay over to the lifeboat station.

“We didn’t know what was going on at first,” Jay said. “We got out of the car and that’s when it all happened and the body came out of the water.

“When things like this happen it’s so important to know what the RNLI do.”

Paula added: “They did as much as they could.”

The police helicopter was also launched, as was the coastguard.

Members of the Dorset Search and Rescue volunteer group were also called to help with the search for the missing woman.

A spokesperson for Dorset Police said they were called at 8.10pm after concerns a 43-year-old local woman had entered the sea.

The spokesperson said following a large scale search for the woman, the RNLI recovered a body from the sea within Christchurch Harbour around 10pm.

“The lifeboat crew commenced CPR and subsequent efforts by emergency services and hospital staff were unable to save the lady, who was pronounced dead at 1.40am”, he added.

The woman’s next of kin have been informed.

An officer at the Dorset coroner’s office confirmed that a post-mortem is due to go ahead early next week and an inquest is expected to be opened the following week.