Cape Town - The life of an 8-year-old boy from Bonnievale, who choked on a piece of apple, could have been spared had his teachers been able to perform basic first aid.
That was the view of police and the community, who described the boy’s death on Thursday as a tragedy that could have been prevented. The child, a pupil at Wakkerstroom East Primary School in Bonnievale, cannot be named as his parents have not yet identified his body.
Bonnievale resident and community leader Lionel Adendorf said the boy was on the school premises when he choked on the apple. He was assisted by teachers who called paramedics and the police, Adendorf said.
“We are very saddened by the death of the child, especially because, with the right training for teachers, this could have been avoided,” he said.
Adendorf said the area of Bonnievale did not have access to emergency services, and that an ambulance had had to be dispatched from Montagu to assist the child.
He said the boy was not the first child in recent months to die from choking.
Police warrant officer at Ashton police station, Graham Nicol, said that when the police arrived at the scene, the boy was already dead.
He had apparently been eating the apple while riding his bicycle.
Provincial Education department spokeswoman Jessica Shelver disputed claims of a lack of first aid training. She said two teachers with training had tried to save the boy.
Efforts to contact the school on Friday proved fruitless.
Weekend Argus