Cape Town - With the Christmas holidays in full swing, the beaches have been fairly safe, according to Cape Town officials, who have continued their drive to reduce the numbers of missing children by using a wristband identification system.
Parents are encouraged to register their children upon arrival at the beach, where they are handed waterproof wrist tags for their children to wear.
The tags contain safety information, as well as emergency and parental contact details.
This way, if a lost child is found looking for their parents, other beachgoers and officials can help reunite them.
The initiative, started by former disaster risk management spokesperson Wilfred Solomons-Johannes, has been operating at most of the city’s busiest beaches for the past four years, but city officials told the Cape Argus that not enough people know about it.
Mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith has urged parents and caregivers to make use of the service as it helps keep children safe.
“We are happy about the fact that the initiative has become public in the past few years and most parents have made use of the arm kits for their children. This year we have had fewer incidents of missing children on the beaches, and that indicates that people have taken far better care of their children on the beaches.”