- The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) issued notices appealing to bathers to only swim at beaches protected by lifeguards.
- For youth 17 and under, drowning represents the second highest cause of accidental death after road accidents. The highest percentage of deaths are in children aged 1-9 years.
- Milnerton Surf Lifesaving Club reported one drowning fatality of a 25-year-old man who was caught in a rip current.
“For youth 17 and under, drowning represents the second highest cause of accidental death after road accidents. The highest percentage of deaths are in children aged 1-9 years.”
So says Lifesaving South Africa, which is urging the public to stay safe and be water-wise this holiday.
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) also issued notices appealing to bathers to only swim at beaches protected by lifeguards.
Just last week the Milnerton Surf Lifesaving Club reported one drowning fatality of a 25-year-old man who was caught in a rip current.
READ | Man dies, another in critical condition, after being caught in rip currents at Milnerton Beach
The club says rip currents are causing havoc this summer.
More lives were saved this past weekend, thanks to the vigilance and dedication of Milnerton lifeguards on duty.
On Sunday, Milnerton voluntary lifeguard Bronson Shaw was watching the bathers when he spotted four people struggling in a current just outside of the swimming flags. He alerted his fellow lifeguards to what was happening and jumped the fence.
“On reaching the first three people he saw they were managing to stay afloat, so he passed them to get to the adolescent who was bobbing under the water. He secured the child and by then members of the public had helped the rest of out the water.”
All four swimmers were safely returned to shore and, according to lifeguards, did not require any further assistance.
On Saturday at 13:16, voluntary duty squad leader Nikolie Teixeira spotted a man who drifted out of the safe swimming area and was now being swept out in the current about 30 m from shore.
READ | Milnerton lifeguards save four lives in four weeks
Teixeira responded with a rescue board while Hermias Smit responded with a rescue torpedo buoy (RTB).
“As Nikolie reached his swimmer, they noticed that an elderly male and a young child were simultaneously swept out in the same current.
“Hermias diverted to secure and rescue the young child with the RTB while Teig Amos responded from the beach on another rescue board to assist the elderly male. He managed to secure the swimmer and provided flotation until Stella Malan reached them with a rescue torpedo buoy.
“Stella dragged the male swimmer to shore, assisted by Hermias who by now returned from taking the youngster to the beach,” the club says.
All three patients were returned to the beach unharmed and required no further attention.
