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The child died in the hospital Saturday after being rescued from the water off Seaside Park.
FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. — A five-year-old child is dead after the Fernandina Beach Fire Department said they drowned in the ocean, dying in the hospital Saturday after bystanders rescued them from the water near Seaside Park.
Officials with the City of Fernandina Beach said lifeguards responded to calls of a child in distress just north of Seaside Park Saturday around 11:52 a.m.
Lifeguards were at the child’s side within moments. The five-year-old had been pulled out of the water when first responders arrived, and they began immediate life-saving measures.
Fernandina Beach Fire Department EMS arrived on scene and took the young child to the hospital, where tragically, they died after suffering cardiac arrest, city officials said.
“Our thoughts are with the child’s family during this tragic time, and we are grateful for the quick actions of the bystanders, and for the rapid response and professionalism of our Ocean Rescue and Fire Department personnel,” city officials said in a statement.
The incident is under investigation.