A 10-year-old girl drowned at Wilderness Beach outside George, while a 26-year-old man is still sought after he allegedly went missing in the surf line while swimming in Victoria Bay yesterday.

According to Wilderness NSRI station commander Mike Vonk, George municipal lifeguards at Wilderness Main Beach responded to a drowning in progress where three family members from George were caught in rip currents.

Lifeguards rescued a young teenage male from the mid surf breakers bringing him safely to shore. He was not injured.

They also reached an unresponsive 16-year-old female and initiated CPR efforts while bringing her to shore where lifeguards and NSRI Wilderness medics continued with emergency medical treatment.

Furthermore, a 10-year-old girl was found unresponsive in the mid surf breakers. She was brought to the beach where NSRI rescue swimmers and a public member assisted the lifeguards to bring the teenager out of the water.

CPR was continued by lifeguards, NSRI medics and provincial government health EMS paramedics. Unfortunately, after extensive efforts to resuscitate the girl were exhausted, she was sadly declared deceased.

The 16-year-old girl was stabilised on the scene before being transported to hospital, in a serious but stable condition. The NSRI were informed that she is expected to fully recover in hospital.

Man missing from Victoria Bay

On the same afternoon, NSRI Wilderness duty crew were activated following reports from George municipal lifeguards who had launched a search at Victoria Bay for an adult male that they suspected to had gone missing in the surf line while swimming.

Two NSRI rescue craft were launched, while George Fire and Rescue Services responded to the scene with their rescue craft jet-rib, and joined lifeguards in an extensive search that has revealed no sign of a male swimmer who lifeguards suspected may have disappeared under water while swimming.

“No persons on the beach reported anyone missing until later when friends of a 26-year-old George male came forward reporting that they had not seen their friend for some time at the beach, unsure if he had returned from swimming and they were uncertain if he may have left the beach to go home,” says Vonk.

Police officers went to a house in George where the man was staying, but found no one at the residence.

They returned to the address later, but the man had still not returned home. An investigation is ongoing by police who are following up on leads.