On Friday, August 8, during a surveillance operation in the Cacela Velha area, members of the SeaWatch Project detected a child in distress in the water.
The boy was in difficulty in the water, in an unmonitored area, after being swept away by the current on the beach in the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António.
The SeaWatch Project crew swiftly rescued and brought the victim ashore, where they stabilised and treated him by administering oxygen.
Using an Amarok vehicle, they then transported the seven-year-old boy to Manta Rota Beach, where an ambulance from the Vila Real de Santo António and Castro Marim Volunteer Fire Department transferred him to the hospital.
Three other children, aged between seven and ten, were found distressed in the same area the following day, Saturday, August 9. The children, who were being “dragged along by the strong current,” were rescued and brought ashore, but were physically unhurt and did not require medical assistance, the National Maritime Authority said.
The National Maritime Authority reiterates its advice against swimming in the Cacela Velha area due to the associated risks.
