The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) has urged parents to ensure their children have responsible adult supervision at all times around water, after a child drowned at Wilderness Lagoon on Saturday.

The child is believed to be around nine or 10, NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said.

NSRI Wilderness duty coxswain, Torsten Henschel, said NSRI Wilderness beach was alerted to the drowning at around 11:13.

When they arrived, lifeguards had recovered the body of the child from the water and paramedics were administering CPR. Efforts to resuscitate the child were exhausted and the child was declared dead at the scene.

It appeared that after swimming and playing in shallow water, the child got into difficulty in a deeper section of the lagoon, Lambinon said.

Police have opened an inquest docket and the body of the child has been taken into the care of the Forensic Pathology Services.

Lambinon said two children survived a non-fatal drowning accident at the same lagoon on Friday.

“Ensure that children are supervised by a responsible adult while they are swimming and playing in water. Go to beaches where and when lifeguards are on duty and identify where the lifeguards are on the beach so that if you need help you can quickly alert the lifeguards.”

The institute urged the public not to drink alcohol when around water particularly when they are with families enjoying the day at coastal or inland waterways.