A 13-year-old boy drowned at Hout Bay Beach on Sunday 13 February.
According to a media statement released by NSRI Hout Bay, the local teenager was swimming with a friend when he got into trouble and disappeared under water.
Geoff Stephens, NSRI Hout Bay station commander, says at 14:35 on Sunday 13 February, the NSRI Hout Bay duty crew was activated following reports of a drowning in progress at Hout Bay Beach.
The NSRI Hout Bay sea rescue craft Albie Matthews and Tintswalo Phoenix were launched. NSRI Hout Bay rescue swimmers and a rescue vehicle also attended to the scene, together with City of Cape Town lifeguards, a Western Cape government Health EMS rescue squad, Law Enforcement officers, Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services, the police, a police dive unit and Hout Bay Community Crime Prevention (CCP).
In addition, the NSRI Kommetjie duty crew dispatched their NSRI rescue vehicle, with rescue swimmers, and the NSRI Kommetjie rescue craft Spirit of the Vines.
An extensive search commenced for the boy missing in the surf.
Stephens says the search included rescue swimmers conducting sweeping, line-free dive search efforts and lifeguards using Malibu rescue boards while the three sea rescue craft searched the surf zone.
“During the search, the teenager was located and recovered from shallow surf by NSRI rescue swimmers and police divers,” says Stephens.
The teenager was declared deceased on the scene and the body has been taken into the care of police and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services.
According to Mayco member for Community Services and Health Patricia van der Ross, there have been 19 drownings at local beaches over the festive season alone.
She adds that a total of 39 non-fatal drownings were recorded between September last year and Sunday 23 January.
“These were successful rescues where patients would otherwise have lost their lives if not for the interventions of first responders and emergency services. Additional rescues were also performed by voluntary lifeguards from the 15 lifesaving clubs in Cape Town and the NSRI members from their base and satellite stations on duty around the coast.”
Van der Ross says in most of these cases, the victims had been swimming outside of designated bathing areas, on unguarded beaches or outside of lifeguard hours. She makes renewed calls for beachgoers to swim in areas where lifeguards are deployed and expresses her gratitude to all lifeguards and emergency personnel.
“We thank these brave souls for putting their lives on the line to help others, amid some very challenging conditions and packed beaches.”
She says the City remains positive that all services working towards the common goal of drowning prevention will do their utmost to ensure these numbers do not increase.
“Success is largely dependent on the responsible and informed decisions made by the public visiting beaches and swimming pools, and the collaborative efforts of all services attending to their safety.”
She continues: “Swim safety should be everyone’s responsibility and if the public plays an active role in their personal safety and all services play their part, it is possible to achieve the City’s drowning prevention vision.”
Van der Ross says there is ongoing public communication and awareness about how to avoid the risk of accidental drowning.
