Two members of a family drowned on Friday while they were reportedly trying to rescue an individual in the Red Sea off Yanbu.

Saudi Red Crescent personnel rescued five members of the family who are said to be in a stable condition.

According to Saudi Red Crescent spokesman Mahmoud Al-Khayyat, the agency’s operations room received an alert at 2:20 p.m. about a family drowning in the waters along the Corniche in Yanbu. Two ambulances were immediately dispatched to the area.

Al-Khayyat said seven members of the family were plucked out and sent to the Yanbu Royal Commission Hospital. “The search is still on for one more person,” he said.

A source told Arab News that the seven members of the family entered the water to help an individual who was drowning. However, they were themselves caught in rough waters.

The family who are of African origin were out on the beach for a weekend picnic.

That particular stretch of the seafront, where the tragedy occurred, is designated as a non-swimming area by the Royal Commission.

The Yanbu tragedy comes close on the heels of a drowning accident in Riyadh on Jan. 18, which claimed the lives of six women.