(CNN) Three American tourists, including a married couple, drowned in Turks and Caicos, the group of islands southeast of the Bahamas, authorities and local reports said.

Two girls survived what authorities called a "very human and terrible tragedy" in the waters off scenic Bambarra Beach in Middle Caicos on Monday. One of the children was the daughter of the couple who drowned, authorities said, while the other girl was related to the third victim.

"We are saddened whenever incidents of this nature occur," Ralph Higgs, the Minister of Tourism, said in a written statement.

Authorities said the two families went to the beach and encountered a fast-moving tide.

Many in the community pitched in to help the extensive search on land and water.

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