British girl 'drowns in Portugal' (From Bicester Advertiser)

British girl 'drowns in Portugal'

9:08pm Tuesday 21st August 2012 in National News © Press Association 2013

The Foreign Office is investigating reports that a five-year-old British girl has drowned off a Portuguese beach alongside her 66-year-old grandfather.

The FCO said it was in touch with local authorities in the country amid reports of the deaths in the tourist resort of Nazare, around 60 miles north of Lisbon.

English-language newspaper The Portugal News reported that the two bodies were recovered from moderately rough seas by fishermen, along with the girl's grandmother, who is in hospital.

It reported that the girl's parents were on the beach at the time, just before 2pm local time on Tuesday.

"We are aware of reports of the death of two British nationals in Portugal and we are in touch with the local authorities," an FCO spokesman said.

On its website www.theportugalnews.com the paper quoted Nazare Port Authority commander Albuquerque e Silva as saying: "The grandfather was already dead when he was hauled from the water. Emergency services attempted to resuscitate the child, but to no avail.

"The two victims, accompanied by the grandmother, went on a stroll away from the Salgado beach, which is under lifeguard surveillance, and it must have been during this period that they were knocked over and dragged in by the waves."