The baby was found crying almost a mile out to sea and carried to safety by lifeguards after she was reportedly blown away in a ring while her parents’ attention was elsewhere
Image: Facebook)
A one-year-old baby has been rescued after floating nearly a mile out to sea in Tunisia a pink rubber ring while her parents were “distracted”, according to local reports.
Government sources told radio station Shems FM the girl had likely been swept out to sea by strong winds off a beach in Kelibia on the northeast coast.
Footage from a jet ski shows Civil Protection officers lift the baby out of the inflatable float and carry her to safety as she cries.
Officials have confirmed she was thankfully unharmed during the ordeal.
The images capture the distressed child being put into a rescue vehicle before the camera pans across the surrounding landscape, showing just how far she had floated out.
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Image:
Facebook)
A lifeguard pulls the girl into the jet ski and speeds off to shore with the rubber ring in tow.
Social media users expressed relief that the child had been saved but questioned what her parents had been doing.
A Facebook user sharing the footage wrote: “Bravo and watch your children while swimming”.
It comes as beaches open up to welcome sunseekers after 18 months of on-off travel restrictions across the world.
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Image:
Facebook)
It’s not the first time a child has gone missing on a busy beach and Tunisian authorities reportedly reminded parents to stay vigilant as the weather heats up and tourists flock to the seaside.
Last month, a terrified little girl was rescued by a frantic lifeboat crew after drifting out to sea on an inflatable dinghy.
She was pulled to safety by lifeguards after being spotted out at sea by an eagle-eyed member of the public on the shore.
Despite being tethered to the shore, the line had become detached and the inflatable had drifted out to sea with the child onboard.
Thankfully, a 999 call was made to the Coastguards which resulted in the launch of the RNLI inshore lifeboat from Rhyl.
And last June in a strikingly similar case, a three-year-old girl was swept out to sea before her parents had chance to react while playing in a unicorn float.
The youngster was thankfully saved by a ferry boat crew in Greece and the footage posted online, where it earned the captain the praise of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
