BRITISH man has drowned after being swept out to see by a horror current at a pristine Portuguese beach.

A surfer tried to save the man after seeing him dragged out to sea by strong currents, but the 41 year old died at the scene.

The tragedy occurred around 3pm on Wednesday at Sao Pedro de Moel beach near the town of Nazare, north of Lisbon, which has become famous for its giant waves.

A Dutch national believed to be around the same age who was with the British man was taken to hospital after getting into difficulties as well, but managed to get out of the water.

Local maritime police chief Joao Lourenco confirmed a 41-year-old foreign man had died after “being swept away by currents” at the beach.

Overnight, Portugal’s National Maritime Agency confirmed the dead man was British.

They said in a statement: “A British man aged 41 died on Wednesday afternoon after getting into difficulties at Sao Pedro de Moel beach.

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“There was no lifeguard service at the beach at that time.”

Local reports said the dead man, who has not been named, was part of a group of recovering addicts who were being treated at a nearby drug addiction clinic and made regular trips to the beach as part of their therapy.

In January, a British teenager drowned after being caught up in a rip current while swimming with friends on a Portuguese beach.

The 19-year-old and two pals got into difficulties during a dip off a small sandy beach on the Costa da Caparica coastline south of Lisbon.

The beach the unnamed teenager got into difficulties off is just over an hour south of Calada Beach north of Lisbon where British financial consultant Trevor Selling, 45, drowned in June last year.

He was trying to save his two daughters when they got into difficulties because of the strong current.

Earlier this summer, a British tourist died while swimming in his Algarve hotel pool.

Respected Portuguese daily Correio da Manha said the unnamed man was found in the water in “cardiac arrest.”