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A 19-year-old who tried to rescue two young relatives who struggled while swimming at Strand Beach in the Western Cape is missing.
According to the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), its Gordons Bay watch team was activated following a drowning observation in Strand Beach at 4:00 p.m. Thursday.
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Surf Lifesaving lifeguards from the city of Cape Town began a rescue operation.
Two girls, a 9-year-old and a 16-year-old relative from Mfuleni, had difficulty surfing while swimming.
A 19-year-old male relative tried to help them and is believed to have also struggled in the water before disappearing into the surf line, the NSRI said in a statement.
The rescuers rescued the girls and began CPR on the youngest child. She was transferred to a local hospital in critical condition and then flown to a Cape Town hospital.
Despite an exhaustive search, no trace remains of the missing teenager.
A police dive unit has been tasked with continuing an ongoing search operation.
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