Margate – Two teenagers drowned and another is missing and presumed to have drowned during a school outing at Margate on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast on Saturday evening, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said.
NSRI Shelly Beach duty crew were activated at 6.20pm following eye-witness reports of a multiple drowning in progress at Margate Beach, spokesman Craig Lambinon said on Sunday.
Rescue swimmers were sent to the scene and a sea rescue craft was launched from Shelly Beach. The SA Police Service, including a search and rescue team, the KwaZulu-Natal emergency medical service (EMS), Medivac ambulance service, and the Hibiscus Coast disaster management also responded, he said.
“Lifeguards had completed their duty stand-by for the day and the beach was unmanned by lifeguards at the time of the incident.”
According to eye-witness reports at least six to nine school pupils were seen to be in difficulty in the surf and bystanders went to their assistance.
It was believed that a group of pupils accompanied by teachers and their principal from a Pietermaritzburg school were at the beach on a school outing when the teenagers appeared to get into difficulties in the surf while swimming.
“Bystanders Adriaan and Annamarie Muller from Witbank, on holiday in Margate, were driving in the vicinity when they noticed a group of children in deep water and being swept out to sea towards rocks. They ran to assist and Adriaan, assisted by other bystanders, was able to pull six children out of the water onto rocks,” Lambinion said.
Two men believed to be off-duty Durban lifeguards also swam out to assist and were able to pull two girls out of the water.
Once on the beach cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) efforts were started before NSRI, police, and paramedics took over and continued with CPR on the two girls, aged 15 and 16.
However, all efforts to resuscitate them were exhausted and they were both declared dead on the scene.
A 17-year-old boy was seen floating face down in the water but despite extensive search efforts the teenager had not been found and he remained missing at sea and was presumed to have drowned, Lambinon said.
The police search and rescue team and lifeguards would continue the search operation for the missing teenager on Sunday.
Police trauma counsellors attended to the school group and police would open an inquest docket.
“Adriaan and Annamarie Muller, and the two unidentified gentlemen who assisted to rescue the two girls, and other bystanders who are believed to have assisted, are all commended for their efforts. Sincerest condolences are expressed to the families of the deceased following this tragic incident,” Lambinon said.
African News Agency