Two women have died after being pulled from the sea off Aberdeen beach overnight.

Emergency services were called to the city’s esplanade at 12.40am on Friday after a report that two people were in the water.

The RNLI inshore lifeboat rescued the pair and they were taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where, despite efforts to revive them, they died.

The two women, aged 22 and 36, who were both foreign nationals, were believed to have gone swimming, police said.

Ch Insp Martin Mackay said extensive efforts were being made to contact the women’s next of kin, and that formal identification had not yet taken place.

He added: “Above all, my thoughts are with all of those who will be affected by this tragic incident. While officers continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding why these women came to be in the water so late at night, at this stage there appears to be no apparent suspicious circumstances.

“From our initial enquiries, which included speaking to a witness who was at the scene at the time, we understand that they entered the water for the purpose of swimming but sadly underestimated the conditions.”

Thanking all the rescue services who attended the incident, which included a HM Coastguard helicopter, Mackay said: “Our seas can be extremely unforgiving, conditions can change rapidly and I can’t stress enough the dangers of entering the water at any time of the day or night when you are not suitably prepared.”

The incident happened along a popular part of the esplanade, north of a play park. On Friday morning, the area remained cordoned off by police.