Girl rescued after being swept to sea in inflatable raft

A young girl was rescued on an inflatable raft by the United States Coast Guard. Image: U.S. Coast Guard

A young girl, aged between 4 to 6 years old, was rescued by the United States Coast Guard in Puerto Rico after she was washed off from a beach while on an inflatable raft.

The coast guard commended the girl for doing a “great job” of staying on her raft, noting that it was “not a lifesaving device and could have easily tipped over at any moment,” as per the U.S. Coast Guard’s statement last Tuesday, June 23.

The unnamed girl is safe and was said to be in “good spirits” after the rescue. She was found over half a mile (around 0.8 kilometers) off the beach near Isla de Cabras in Toa Baja last Monday, June 22.

The coast guard received a call that the child was being swept out to the sea on Monday afternoon. Watchstanders and a Good Samaritan at the beach directed them closer to where the raft was located.

After the rescue, the coast guard crew immediately provided the girl with a blanket and made her comfortable.

“This brave little girl was very fortunate to survive this ordeal,” U.S. Coast Guard officer Jesse Wilde was quoted as saying. He mentioned that the girl also had a life jacket.

Wilde said he will never forget the girl’s smile when she realized that she was safe. He also thanked everyone who helped in quickly locating the kid to bring her back to safety.

According to the report, the girl was taken to a local hospital after the rescue for further evaluation as a precautionary measure. NVG

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