SEARCH FOR GIRL IN SEA IN SOUTH WALES

At 3.54pm on Sunday 7 July, Swansea Coastguard was contacted by South Wales Police reporting that a 14 year old girl was missing and was last seen struggling in the water an hour earlier at Whitmore Bay near Barry.

Swansea Coastguard requested an air and sea search involving the Coastguard rescue helicopter from Portland, Barry Coastguard Rescue Team, Barry Dock and Penarth RNLI lifeboats, RNLI beach lifeguards and officers from South Wales Police.

After an extensive search extending outwards from the last reported sighting, the girl has not been found.

Steve Jones, Rescue Coordination Centre Manager at Swansea Coastguard said,

"If you see someone in difficulty in the water you should call 999 and ask for the Coastguard immediately as any delay means vital search and rescue time is lost.

"Occasionally the Coastguard receives false alarms when somebody who appears to be in difficulty does not need help but we would rather you call 999 anyway if you are genuinely concerned about a situation".

UPDATE: 09.15 Monday 8 July

Barry Coastguard Rescue Team will carry out a shoreline search at low water this lunchtime at Whitmore Bay.

UPDATE: 15.40 Monday 8 July

Both Barry and Penarth Coastguard Rescue Teams still involved in a shoreline search.

UPDATE: 18.00 Monday 8 July

After a further shoreline search today by the Penarth and Barry Coastguard Rescue Teams, the search has ended with nothing found. HM Coastguard has now formally passed the search over to police.

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