The dad of the five-year-old girl who died after being dragged out to sea in a rubber ring jumped in to save her but did not know how to swim.
The young girl, reportedly from Georgia, was visiting the Spanish Costa Dorada with her family when tragedy struck.
The holidaymakers were staying in the city of Tarragona in the north-eastern Spanish region of Catalonia when they went to enjoy a day on the beach and the little girl entered the sea in a rubber ring.
However, she was quickly dragged out to sea by the currents and strong winds.
According to latest reports, the girl’s dad saw her in trouble and jumped into the sea to try to save her.
But he did not know how to swim.
When the father began to struggle in the water, a female beachgoer entered the sea to swim after the girl, but was unable to reach her due to the distance and speed at which the five-year-old was being dragged.
The Spanish emergency services arrived at the girl’s location just after midday when she was already 300 metres (984 feet) from the shore.
When they found her, she had lost the inflatable and was reportedly unconscious.
Efforts were made to revive the girl on the rescue vessel heading back to shore, and paramedics continued trying to save her for over an hour at the port, according to local media.
When nothing further could be done to save the lifeless child, the Red Cross sent a psychologist and translator to tell the Georgian parents the horrifying news.
According to local media, the beach was not attended by lifeguards as the holiday season has not officially started yet.
Reports also said that there were no flags advising beachgoers about the conditions.
In 2017, at least 481 people drowned off Spanish coastlines and 24 victims were under the age of 14.
Local media said that most cases took place on beaches without lifeguards or when an official was not on duty.
To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below.
Story By: Ana Lacasa, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
