Bermuda's beach patrols were on high alert yesterday after a beach death tragedy and a rescue after a woman swimmer got into trouble in rough seas.

And lifeguards warned anyone swimming off Bermuda shores to take extra care in the water.

Horseshoe Bay lifeguard Andrew Davis said the beach team had been boosted from three to four because of high seas caused by hurricane conditions in the Atlantic.

Yesterday, the yellow-and-black caution flag was flying from the beach's lifeguard station.

And a section of the west end of the beach nearest rocks was red-flagged because of the risk of riptides dragging swimmers way out of their depth.

Other South Shore beaches were posted with bright red hurricane warning signs to alert swimmers to rough weather.

But Mr. Davis said: "Irrespective of the weather, everybody should exercise caution in the water, definitely.'' He was speaking after three lifeguards pulled a woman swimmer who got into difficulties out of the surf at Horseshoe Bay around lunchtime.

Mr. Davis added that yesterday afternoon had seen calmer seas -- although waves were still larger than normal.

In a separate incident, a 29-year-old woman -- reported by Police to be "overindulging'' -- was pulled unconscious from the water fell overboard from a boat moored in St. George's Harbour on Saturday night.

The unconscious woman was dragged from the harbour and treated at the scene by Ambulance Service personnel and firefighters from the Clearwater station before being rushed to the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.