Boy, 5, drowns in Plett Bay hotel pool
Public urged to be cautious when swimming after black weekend
AFIVE-YEAR-OLD boy is the latest victim in multiple drowning reports over the weekend. NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said the boy was found by other children who were swimming in a pool at a hotel in Plettenberg Bay, and brought him out of the water.
“On Saturday at about 4.37pm NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew were activated following calls from multiple eyewitnesses at the Beacon Island Hotel that the bystanders had initiated CPR efforts on a 5-year-old local male who a group of children had recovered from under water,” Lambinon said.
He said paramedics, an off-duty nurse and a doctor, who happened to be at the hotel at the time, attempted to resuscitate the child, but failed. Local police have opened an inquest docket.
“Trauma counsellors attended to family of the deceased child. The mother, is reportedly believed to be an employee of a local salon,” Lambinon said.
According to the NSRI, every year approximately 600 children drown in South Africa. The public education manager from Water Wise Academy, Andrew Ingram, said 90% of child drownings were in pools.
In incidents on Friday, a 74-year-old canoeist drowned at Marina da Gama, and a 53-year-old man drowned while swimming at Glentana.
“The NSRI Strandfontein crew was activated following a request for assistance from a concerned family reporting a 74-year-old male family member suspected to be missing in the marina at Marina da Gama after failing to return from a paddle. It is suspected that he had departed to paddle to another residence on the marina earlier in the day, and when family arrived home in the early evening he was not at home,” Lambinon said.
He said that after an extensive search the canoe was found early on Saturday morning after it appeared to have washed ashore. There was no sign of the man and the search was suspended, but then resumed later on.
The man’s body was later recovered by police divers. An inquest docket was opened by the police. In Glentana, paramedics responded to a report of a drowning. Upon arrival on the scene they discovered that a 53-year-old male from Rheebok had been removed from the water. CPR was initiated.
“After exhausting all efforts at CPR the man was declared deceased by paramedics. His body was taken into the care of the Forensic Pathology Services, and police have opened an inquest docket.
“Drowning is a year-round problem but it peaks in summer, so do not let a careless moment ruin your year-end vacation. It can unfortunately also be a time fraught with tragedy for those who are inexperienced, unable to swim and who may for some or other reason be vulnerable to drowning,” Lambinon said.