A six-year-old girl found lifeless in Margate harbour was in the water for at least 20 minutes before she washed up on a sandbank, it has emerged.

The youngster's disappearance sparked a frantic search of the crowded beach on Saturday afternoon.

The RNLI will not say what time the alarm was raised, but the girl was discovered in the harbour shortly after 3.10pm.

Witnesses reported seeing something in the choppy water about 20 minutes before, but it was not until the tide started to go out that it was apparent it could be a body.

Alex and Jane Fright were sitting on the sea defence steps near the junction with Market Street when they first spotted something.

"I asked Alex 'what's that in the water?'" said mum-of-two Mrs Fright.

"It could have been anything - some driftwood, or even a deflated dinghy.

"There were so many inflatables and lilos floating around in the harbour and the water was really choppy."

As the tide receded, the couple grew more concerned, with Mr Fright eventually walking through the water to where the girl had washed up.

"I stayed on the steps, but I could see Alex on the phone straight away, so I just knew it was a body," she said.

"All the emergency services - police and paramedics - then came down."

Paramedics performed CPR on the beach and the girl was rushed to Margate's QEQM Hospital, where she later died.

Wedding functions co-ordinator Mrs Fright, of Beatrice Road, Margate, says she and her husband cannot stop thinking about the events of that day.

"It's her mum and dad you have to think of, because they've lost their little girl," she said.

"My husband especially was in a lot of shock on Saturday night. We didn't sleep.

"He said to me in the morning 'I just can't get it out of my head'.

"We've beaten ourselves up about whether we could have done something sooner, but we just weren't to know. The water was so choppy you just couldn't tell."

"It's her mum and dad you have to think of, because they've lost their little girl..." - Jane Fright

Jean Beswick, the owner of BeBeached restaurant on the harbour arm, says the incident is the most harrowing thing she has ever witnessed.

"I just could not believe what we were seeing," she said. "Everybody was in tears afterwards.

"The paramedics were so brilliant and spent about half-an-hour trying to save her.

"I think they knew it was too late as they gave each other a massive hug afterwards.

"Later on in the evening children were playing in the very spot where she was found in the sand. It's so, so sad; utterly heartbreaking."

Police confirmed on Sunday morning that the girl, who was from Erith in south east London, had died.

"Her next of kin have been informed," a spokesman added.

"There are no suspicious circumstances and a report is being prepared for the coroner."