An evening at the beach turned tragic when two British siblings, ages 11 and 13, drowned off the coast of Spain as their father desperately tried to save them, according to multiple reports.
The incident occurred around 8:45 p.m. on Tuesday, July 29, at Llarga Beach in Salou, Tarragona, a popular resort town in northeastern Spain. The children were swimming in a rocky area roughly 300 feet from the shore when they encountered rough waters and were unable to make it back, according to The Guardian, The Times, and the BBC.
Their father rushed into the sea in an attempt to rescue them, but he too had to be pulled from the water by emergency responders. Authorities say all three were brought ashore alive, but despite resuscitation efforts, the two children could not be saved.
Local police chief José Luis Gargallo confirmed to the BBC that the father had swallowed a significant amount of water and was “in a state of exhaustion” after the ordeal.
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“The sea was rough, and people sometimes underestimate its power — especially in this area, which is usually very calm,” Gargallo said. “Ninety percent of the time, there is no danger on that beach, but [Tuesday] was different — not just there, but along the entire coast.”
At the time of the incident, lifeguards had already ended their shifts for the day. Emergency responders from the Catalan police, Salou local police, and fire brigade arrived to assist, but the remote location and sea conditions made the rescue effort difficult.
The family, who had been vacationing in Salou, were staying at a nearby hotel. The children’s mother and another sibling were reportedly there when the tragedy unfolded.
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“We are supporting the family of two British children who have died in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities,” a spokesperson for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said in a statement, per The Guardian.
On Wednesday, local officials held a minute of silence outside Salou’s town hall in memory of the siblings. Psychological support is being provided to the grieving family.
The same day, authorities confirmed that a 54-year-old German man also drowned at Cap de Sant Pere de Cambrils beach, not far from where the siblings died. The two incidents bring the total number of beach-related deaths in Catalonia to 16 since mid-June, according to the BBC.
Catalonia’s Civil Protection agency urged beachgoers to stay alert to sea conditions and immediately notify lifeguards or call emergency services at 112 if someone appears to be in distress in the water.
