East Lyme — A local woman who was rescued from the water at McCook Beach in Niantic last Thursday afternoon has died, according to East Lyme Resident State Trooper Sgt. Wilfred Blanchette III.

She has been identified as Joyce Kelly, 74, of Niantic, according to police.

Police are awaiting a report from the state chief medical examiner's office to determine the cause of death.

First Selectman Mark Nickerson said eyewitness reports have indicated that she was wading near the edge of the water when she apparently collapsed and fell into the water.

Children at the beach alerted Parks and Recreation lifeguards to the emergency, according to earlier reports from The Day.

The lifeguards swiftly responded and performed CPR on the woman, Nickerson said. They acted "heroically and professionally," he said.

She was taken by East Lyme Ambulance to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London, according to The Day's reports.

Nickerson said he was informed over the weekend that she had later died. The exact time of her death was unclear, but Nickerson said it was at least one day after the rescue.

k.drelich@theday.com

Twitter: @KimberlyDrelich