Council’s Parks and Recreation Department is keen to work with the “Echoes of Hope” group to contribute to visitor safety and awareness on the dangers of diving at Harmony Park resort.
So said Patricia van der Ross, Mayoral Committee member for Community Service and Health, following the group sharing information that it will need to halt the project as support from the City of Cape Town had been withdrawn (“Resort casualties proactive,” DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette, 19 October).
“A City official will be in contact with Jozua Julies and Edgar Hartnick to engage further,” Van der Ross assured.
The group aims to engage resort visitors on the risks associated with jumping head first into the water over the holiday season.
It is comprised of five members who are all paralysed and in wheelchairs following diving accidents. They were previously employed seasonally by the City years ago, after Julies and Hartnick conducted an awareness programme with great success.
But they are concerned they’d need more support from the City to continue as an influx of visitors are expected.
“At this stage, the Recreation and Parks Department does not host a safety programme specifically focusing on the dangers of diving, but rather a broader summer safety campaign,” Van der Ross said. “In the past the City has successfully employed individuals to man the jetty and engage the public on awareness of the danger of diving into the ocean. This employment, however, is dependent on budget availability.
“We are aware of three such serious incidents over the past three years. The statistics on expected visitors are merely dependant on weather conditions, and therefore difficult to ascertain. It is also a free access facility with several uncontrolled access points.”
The City runs an annual interdepartmental summer safety campaign, highlighting general beach safety.
“This includes the appointment of lifeguards and beach buddies, and IdentiKidz programmes at various beaches along the coastline.”
Both Hartnick and Julies expressed a desire to prevent serious injury to others, for living in a wheelchair can turn one’s entire life around.
“We see youngsters trying to impress their peers all the time, some people are under the influence,” Hartnick related. “Whatever the reason, they pull off fancy moves while diving, so we tell them, ‘look at us, do you know why we’re paralysed’, and share our stories. Each year we’ve campaigned there have been no accidents, but when we’re not there, an accident occurs.”
