A nine-year-old boy died at Kleinmond Main Beach Lagoon on Saturday 10 October after being found unresponsive underwater.

“The boy had been visiting the beach with family,” says Schalk Boonzaaier, NSRI Kleinmond station commander.

ALSO READ: Camps Bay Tidal Pool drowning claims life of 8-year-old

The incident occurred at 15:12 when the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Kleinmond duty crew was activated following eyewitness reports of a drowning in progress.

NSRI rescue swimmers and medics, along with Critical Care Medical (CCM), ER24 emergency services, the Overstrand Fire and Rescue Service and local police responded to the incident.

On arrival, the crew found bystanders, including a clinical practitioner, in the process of recovering a child from the water, with CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) efforts already underway. NSRI medics continued with CPR and were joined on the scene by paramedics.

“Despite extensive CPR efforts, after all efforts to resuscitate the child were exhausted, the child was sadly declared deceased by paramedics,” says Boonzaaier.

The body of the child was taken into the care of police and the Western Cape Forensic Pathology Service. The family of the child is also in the care of the police.

“Condolences are conveyed to the family of the deceased child,” says Boonzaaier.

An inquest docket has been opened at the local police station.

ALSO READ: Is it Slade? Family caught between hope and heartbreak after beach body discovery