Two more drownings in Western Cape
Another two people, including a 10-year-old boy, drowned in the Western Cape on Saturday, according to the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI).
NSRI Mykonos responded to Paternoster at 12.55pm to assist the SA Police Service (SAPS) dealing with a case of a 10-year-old boy missing in the surf at Main Beach, the NSRI said on its official website.
NSRI Mykonos launched a sea rescue craft to search and NSRI rescue swimmers were deployed into the surf to conduct sweeping line free dive searches.
During the search the body of the child was located and recovered from the ocean floor 400 metres off-shore and brought to shore aboard the sea rescue craft. The body was handed to the forensic pathology service and police had opened an inquest docket.
Later on Saturday afternoon, NSRI Hermanus duty crew, Western Cape emergency medical services (EMS), and the SAPS responded to Grotto beach at 3.45pm to assist lifeguards who had rescued three men from the surf.
It was believed the three were swimming when they were caught in rip currents. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) efforts commenced on a 40-year-old man from Cape Town, but despite extensive CPR efforts the man was declared deceased by paramedics.
The remaining two men were transported to hospital by EMS ambulance in stable but serious conditions. One had been released following treatment for non-fatal drowning symptoms and one remained in hospital but was expected to make a full recovery. Police had opened an inquest docket, the NSRI said.
In another incident on Saturday, NSRI Kommetjie, NSRI Hout Bay, Cape Medical Response, and the EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter responded to Noordhoek Beach in Cape Town where a 38-year-old woman, from Walmer Estate, was swept out to sea by rip currents.
“It appears that the lady and her male friend were standing in knee deep water when the backwash of strong rip currents knocked her over and swept her out to sea; before her friend could react she was already out of reach and he ran to raise the alarm.”
Two local surfers paddled out to assist her and loaded her onto one of the surfboards. They were keeping her warm when the NSRI Kommetjie sea rescue craft arrived on the scene and took her aboard.
The two surfers were commended for their efforts and also taken to shore aboard the sea rescue craft.
“The lady was brought to the slipway at Kommetjie where Skymed landed and the AMS doctor treated her for mild hypothermia and exhaustion and non-fatal drowning symptoms before, requiring no further assistance, she was released to her family,” the NSRI said.
ANA
(File photo)