Teenager missing and 9-year-old critical following beach outing

A 19-year-old who tried to rescue two young family members who got into difficulty while swimming at Strand Beach in the Western Cape is missing.

According to the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), its Gordons Bay duty crew was activated following the observation of a drowning at Strand Beach at 16:00 on Thursday.

City of Cape Town Surf Lifesaving lifeguards initiated a rescue operation.

Two girls – a 9-year-old and a 16-year-old family member from Mfuleni – got into difficulty in the surf while swimming.

A 19-year-old male relative tried to help them and it is believed that he also got into difficulty in the water before disappearing in the surf line, the NSRI said in a statement.

Lifeguards rescued the girls and initiated CPR on the younger child. She was transported to a local hospital in a critical condition and later airlifted to a Cape Town hospital.

Despite an extensive search, there remains no sign of the missing male teenager.

A police dive unit has been tasked with continuing an ongoing search operation.

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