Brit, 19, drowns after getting caught in rip tide while swimming on a beach in Portugal 

A British teenager has drowned after being caught up in a rip current while swimming with friends on a Portuguese beach.

The 19-year-old and two pals got into difficulties during a dip off a small sandy beach on the Costa da Caparica coastline south of Lisbon.

Emergency responders received an alert just before 6.30pm local time and contacted police, coastguards and firefighters as well as mobilising a Portuguese Air Force plane.

Two of the three people, all thought to be Brits, had managed to get out by the time help arrived and a search was launched for the third which ended with his body being discovered on neighbouring Tarquinio-Paraiso Beach.

Portugal’s National Maritime Authority (AMN) confirmed the victim was from the UK.

The beach the unnamed teenager got into difficulties off is just over an hour south of Calada Beach north of Lisbon where British financial consultant Trevor Selling, 45, drowned in June last year trying to save his two daughters when they got into difficulties because of the strong current.

In a statement on the latest tragedy, the AMN said: ‘A 19-year-old young man, of English nationality, died on January 4, on the beach of Dragão Vermelho, on the coast of Caparica in the municipality of Almada, after being caught up in a rip current while he was bathing with two friends.’

It said the alert was received at 6.20pm via the Lisbon Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre and Lisbon Maritime Police were dispatched as part of an emergency response along with coastguards, paramedics and a Portuguese Air Force plane.

Source” Content adapted from dailymail