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Girl, 10, Dies After Being Pulled From Water At Coney Island

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A 10-year-old girl is dead, after being pulled from the water off the beach in Coney Island, Brooklyn.

Police responded shortly before 7 p.m. to a 911 call for two people in the water near Stillwell Avenue and the Coney Island boardwalk, the NYPD told CBS 2.

The girl who died was pulled from the water along with another young girl, police said.

One man, Cory Murray of Jamaica, Queens, told CBS 2's Dave Carlin he jumped into the water when he heard a little girl saying, "Help! Help!" He said he was able to help the girl who survived – who he said was a small child.

"Pretty much, I left her to go help the little girl, so I tried to help both of them, at least," Murray said. "One dude –- there was another gentleman helping me as well – he grabbed the girl. He was having some problems helping her back to the shore, so I told him to put her on my back and I'd bring her halfway, pretty much bring her to safety."

But the ending was not happy for the girl who later died. Murray said she did not appear until several minutes later, and Good Samaritans tried to give her CPR.

"A lot of people that was on the shore came to help out. A couple of people knew CPR that was helping her out," he said.

Murray said the heavy waves on Tuesday likely overcame the girls.

"I'm not sure what exactly happened, but from the looks of it, it looks like the waves must have pushed them back to where they couldn't come back to shore, because the waves were pretty heavy today," he said.

Murray said an adult from the girls' family was present.

The girl who died was initially taken to Coney Island Hospital in critical condition, but she was pronounced dead there just after 8 p.m., police said. Her identity was not immediately released.

There were no lifeguards on duty at the beach at the time, police told 1010 WINS. During beach season, lifeguards only work from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and swimming is not allowed outside of those hours, officials said.

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