CAPE TOWN – The City of Cape Town’s beach safety initiatives have delivered their best results yet, the City says, with the Identikidz Programme registering over 101 000 children during the festive season whilst maintaining lower drowning statistics than previous years.
The programme, which operates at 15 of the city’s busiest beaches, recorded 101 780 child registrations over the peak holiday period — a 13.5% increase from last year’s 89 689 registrations. This is the highest number of children ever registered through the initiative.
This season saw 227 lost children successfully reunited with their families, with only five requiring handover to the Department of Social Development (DSD) when caregivers could not be located by day’s end. These figures compare favourably to last year’s 256 reunions and 11 DSD handovers.
The programme operates across Cape Town’s most popular coastal destinations, including a special presence at Maiden’s Cove on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. False Bay beaches recorded the highest registration numbers, with Strand, Strandfontein, and Muizenberg leading participation rates.
Lifeguards prevent tragedies
Since October 2024, lifeguards have successfully rescued 23 people from non-fatal drowning incidents. However, five fatal drownings were recorded along the coastline, comprising three bathing-related incidents and two cases currently under police investigation. The City said that all fatal incidents occurred outside designated swimming areas marked by lifeguard supervision.
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Three of the drownings occurred over the festive period, beginning with a 15-year-old at Noordhoek Beach in November. An adult male also drowned at Cape Town Harbour in December. The most recent fatality involved a 39-year-old man at Strand Beach on New Year’s Day.
Analysis of non-fatal incidents revealed that most of the rescues — 20 out of 23 — were along the False Bay coastline. Strand Beach recorded four incidents, whilst Clovelly and Fish Hoek each saw four and three incidents respectively.
More than half of these incidents involved children aged between six and 17 years.
Continued vigilance needed
Mayco member for community services and health, Francine Higham, praised the collaborative effort behind this season’s safety record whilst emphasising ongoing risks.
“The statistics serve as a stark reminder that whilst our coastline provides wonderful summer attraction, it requires a careful and considered approach,” said Higham. “I commend everyone involved in our festive season operations — staff members, beachgoers, and parents whose support of our drowning prevention and child safety initiatives contributes to one of our safest seasons yet.”
With summer holidays continuing and another busy beach weekend anticipated, authorities stress the importance of maintaining safety awareness.
The City has reminded beachgoers of the four golden rules for drowning prevention:
- Swim only between lifeguards’ red and yellow flags
- Avoid swimming under the influence of alcohol
- Remain alert to rip current dangers
- Actively supervise children around water at all times
The Identikidz Programme concludes on Sunday, 18 January. Additional water safety information is available at www.thesafezone.co.za.
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