June 26: A 42-year-old Calcuttan died in Digha after being struck by a big wave during high tide last night.

Supriyo Chakraborty of Haridevpur was speaking on the phone while walking along the beach around 9pm when the accident occurred, police said.

"A big wave hit him and he lost his balance and was sucked into the sea," an officer said. He got hurled against a stack of boulders and was injured in the head and chest. He was declared dead at Digha State General Hospital.

Chakraborty's wife Banani, a primary schoolteacher, said he had allayed her fears by saying the beach was swarming with people and that he knew swimming when she told him about the tide.

Banani, who was some distance from her husband, said she saw him trying to crawl back after being hit by the wave. "But he was sucked in again by two consecutive waves. Soon, he was hurled against the boulders. He was pulled out after half an hour."

They had arrived at Digha yesterday with their seven-year-old son and were scheduled to return today, she said.