By Jackson Cote
MassLive.com, Springfield, Mass.
SWAMPSCOTT, Mass. — A 5-year-old girl was rescued Tuesday afternoon off a beach in Northeastern Massachusetts after she was carried out to sea, police said.
The girl, identified as Cecilia, was on a small raft when a gust of wind blew her 300 to 400 yards from Preston Beach in Swampscott around 2:50 p.m., the town’s police department said in a Facebook post.
Cecilia’s father tried to save her but was in a dangerous position due to the strong winds and current, according to the post.
Both individuals had to be rescued. Cecilia held onto the floatation device tightly until first responders got her out of the water, the department said. Police called her “one lucky little girl.”
“She was very brave and hung on until help arrived,” the Swampscott Police Department said. “Great outcome today.”
Swampscott and Marblehead police officers and firefighters assisted with the rescue, the department noted.
Police offered a warning to beachgoers, reminding them that a small breeze can quickly push a small flotation device far out to sea.
https://www.facebook.com/swampscottpolice/posts/3484689828287712
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