American tourist missing in Taiwan after being swept into sea by waves

New Taipei, May 30 (CNA) An American man went missing after being swept into the sea by waves at a beach in New Taipei's Gongliao District in northern Taiwan on Friday, the city's Fire Department said, adding that search and rescue efforts were ongoing.

The department said in a message to the media that it received a report at 5:37 p.m. that in the waters off Dongxing Temple in Gongliao, three members of a group of eight foreign tourists were swept off wave breakers by waves.

Two were rescued and brought ashore, while one man remained missing, the department said, with police, firefighters, and personnel mobilized by the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) conducting a search and rescue operation.

According to witnesses at the scene, the group of foreigners had been playing in the water earlier in the day. The three swept off the wave breakers were about 100 meters from the beach.

Surfers nearby heard cries for help and assisted in bringing two of the individuals safely to shore, they said.

However, one man was pulled farther out by the waves and disappeared, making rescue efforts by the surfers and other beachgoers impossible.

Firefighters from Gongliao and Shuangxi stations are conducting search and rescue operations from land, while the CGA has dispatched two vessels to assist at sea.

Meanwhile, local police said that the group of foreigners were all students aged between 19 and 20.

As of press time, search and rescue operations continued but police said they were challenging due to poor visibility and darkness.

This is the second drowning accident on Friday when Taiwan observed the Dragon Boat Festival. Earlier, a Mexican man was reported missing after swimming with a group of friends off Taiwan's outlying Green Island.

As of 4 p.m., the missing man had not been found, according to coast guard officers stationed on the island.