A 12-year-old girl has died after disappearing while swimming off a beach in Almeria.
The tragedy unfolded at Costacabana beach in Almeria city on Saturday evening, where emergency services were alerted after the child vanished in the water.
The alarm was raised at 6.55pm when the 112 emergency coordination centre received reports that a young girl had gone missing while bathing in the sea.
A major search and rescue operation was immediately launched involving Policia Nacional officers, Local Police, 061 paramedics, Maritime Rescue, Civil Protection volunteers and the municipal beach service.
Rescue teams managed to locate the girl a short time later.
Maritime Rescue personnel brought her back to shore, where emergency medics began CPR in an attempt to save her life.
Despite prolonged resuscitation efforts, the child could not be revived.
A spokesperson for the Policia Nacional in Almeria later confirmed her death.
The incident occurred at Costacabana, one of the most popular beaches in the provincial capital during the summer bathing season.
The tragedy marks the second fatal drowning on Almería’s coastline in a matter of hours.
Earlier on Saturday, a 31-year-old woman died after getting into difficulty in the water at the famous Playa de los Muertos in Carboneras.
She was rescued from the sea in critical condition but could not be saved.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
