Drowning after river rescue bid

A YOUNG woman drowned while trying to rescue children who got into difficulty in the Kowie River in Port Alfred yesterday.

Meanwhile, search efforts continue for a missing swimmer at St Francis Bay.

Police in Port Alfred have opened an inquest following the death of the Bathurst woman, 21, who was part of a group visiting Kiddies Beach on the river when the incident occurred at 12.05pm.

Police spokeswoman Captain Mali Govender said: “The group of six children were playing in the water at the beach.

“The children, [a boy and five girls, aged] between 10 and 15, were in the water when they got into difficulty. The victim noticed that the younger ones were in trouble and tried to help them.”

Govender said the panicked children clung to the woman.

“Six bystanders who were close by went out to assist. All but one were brought to safety.”

NSRI Port Alfred station commander Juan Pretorius said the swimmers were already out of the water when his crew arrived.

“[The] NSRI and paramedics [tried to revive] the [woman], but [despite their efforts] she [was] declared dead,” Pretorius said.

“It appears that the children and the adult were swimming at a sand bank in the Kowie River [on which swimmers can] stand waistdeep in the middle of the river.

“Unfortunately the full moon spring tide appears to have led them to wade [from] this sandbank to [a deeper] area, and suddenly all [of them] were out of their depth.”

Five children were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.

One was taken to a Port Elizacommander beth hospital in a critical condition.

Govender said the victim’s name was being withheld until her next of kin could be notified.

She could not say whether any of the children were relatives of the victim.

In St Francis Bay, NSRI station Sarah Smith said the search was continuing for a man, 28, who disappeared under the surf at the Anne Avenue Beach.

“The duty crew was activated following reports of multiple people in difficulty in the surf,” she said.

“NSRI rescue swimmers raced to the beach to join Kouga municipal lifeguards, volunteer lifeguards and two surfers trying to rescue nine people who had been swept out to sea by rip currents.”

The nine swimmers were brought to shore, after which it was confirmed that one man was still unaccounted for.

“The NSRI craft joined in the search, but despite an extensive search no sign of the missing man has been found.

“Police will go on searching.”

The younger ones were in trouble and [she] tried to help