Tainan: Three young boys playing on a beach in Tainan were swept out to sea on Thursday, leaving two hospitalized and one still missing. The boys, who had just graduated from elementary school, were identified as a 13-year-old surnamed Chen, a 12-year-old surnamed Lan, and a 12-year-old surnamed Chung.

According to Focus Taiwan, the incident took place on the Gold Coast in Tainan's South District. The local fire department received a distress call at 3:14 p.m., prompting the immediate dispatch of seven vehicles, two vessels, and 12 personnel to the scene for a rescue operation.

Chen was successfully rescued from the water at 3:28 p.m., while Lan managed to swim back to shore on his own. Both boys were subsequently taken to National Cheng Kung University Hospital for medical treatment.

As of press time, the search for the third boy, Chung, continues, as rescue teams remain engaged in efforts to locate him.