British teen feared dead after vanishing during swim off popular Dutch beach - as two friends rescued
27 August 2024, 12:44 | Updated: 27 August 2024, 12:49
A 19-year-old Brit has vanished after going for a swim off a popular Dutch beach - as two friends were rescued by authorities after coming to their friends' aid.
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The teenager disappeared during a dip near the beach of Zuidelijk Havenhoofd in the Netherlands at around 8:30 pm on Sunday, August 25.
She was one of a group of four friends from the UK who had travelled to The Hague over the bank holiday weekend.
The missing girl is said to have got into trouble moments after entering the North Sea, with Dutch authorities now searching the area.
Police told Dutch broadcaster Omroep West on Monday that the three who were rescued were all from the United Kingdom and "about the same age".
It's believed two of the three friends entered the water and attempted to rescue the girl, which saw them also get into difficulties.
The two boys were injured during the rescue attempt according to reports, with rescuers eventually plucking them from the water.
One eye-witness told local media that the friends who went to her aid "barely survived" after entering the choppy waters.
The scene is believed to be even more perilous given its proximity to a rocky pier.
"They both had legs covered in blood. There was also a mother there who was panicking and screaming," reported Omroep.
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"Despite their best efforts, the young men could not get close enough to save the woman," they said.
“The water was so wild, really impassable. Those boys barely survived.”
However, authorities searching for the 19-year-old have said they are not holding out hope of a positive outcome after more than 24hours missing.
The search operation, which is said to involve a boat and helicopter, has now been reduced to checking local shoreline according to Dutch media on Monday night.
Haaglanden emergency services added that this is no longer a rescue operation.
