The City of Cape Town is emphasising beach safety for the rest of the holiday season after recording 19 near-fatal and four fatal drownings since the start of December.
One fatality occurred along the local shoreline on New Year’s Day (Thursday 1 January), when a 38-year-old man from Elsies River drowned.
According to the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), rescue crews stationed at their satellite station at Strand Beach were approached by a woman reporting a drowning in progress around 09:35. However, she could not specify the exact location of the incident.
NSRI Gordon’s Bay crew immediately alerted City lifeguards and activated the City’s water rescue network. The NSRI Emergency Operations Centre reviewed CCTV footage while lifeguards and NSRI launched rescue craft and initiated a comprehensive beach search.
Shortly after the search began, the man was found floating lifeless in the surf zone.
Lifeguards immediately recovered him and began CPR with NSRI assistance. Multiple emergency services responded, including the provincial government’s Health EMS, various ambulance services, City Fire and Rescue Service, Law Enforcement and police.
Despite extensive resuscitation efforts, paramedics declared the man dead at the scene. Police have opened an inquest docket and the NSRI extended condolences to the family.
DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette contacted a relative of the deceased for comment, but attempts to gain comment from the family were unsuccessful.
Excluding the local tragedy, lifeguards have responded to 33 water rescues, 39 first-aid incidents, 18 anti-social behaviuor incidents at beaches, along with two first-aid incidents at municipal swimming pools.
The City’s Identikidz Programme has registered 55 075 children by December month-end and reunited 78 with caregivers, with Strand among the three beaches recording the highest registrations.
The programme will continue to run at three local beaches – Gordon’s Bay, Harmony Park and Strand – from 09:00 until 18:30 on Saturday 10, Sunday 11, Saturday 17, and Sunday 18 January.
The City emphasises four golden rules for drowning prevention:
• swim only between lifeguards’ red and yellow flags;
• never swim under the influence of alcohol;
• stay alert to rip current dangers; and
actively supervise children around water at all times.
Strand’s indoor swimming pool is one of 36 community pools open to the public during the festive season, operating daily from 10:00 to 18:00 (last ticket sold at 17:30). As a result of lower weekday demand, the facilities will revert to weekend hours after the school holidays.
“Our beaches have attracted thousands of visitors this season,” said Francine Higham, Mayoral Committee member for Community Services and Health.
“Please remind yourself and your children about water safety rules and use the Identikidz service where available. Children under seven must be accompanied by adults at all times.”
