Cape Town - At least 10 people, including two children, have drowned in the Western Cape so far this year.
There was yet another drowining late Tuesday.
On Monday, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) and emergency services were activated following reports of a drowning in progress at Dappat se Gat, Kogel Bay. Four females, all believed to be in their late teens and from Sir Lowry’s Pass Village and the Strand, were reportedly swept out to sea by rip currents while swimming. Three of them made it back to shore safely and were not injured.
However, a 19-year-old remained missing and lifeguards initiated a search, later joined by the NSRI and the emergency services, without success.
On Sunday, a 41-year-old man was declared dead at Langebaan Lagoon after getting into difficulty while swimming.
NSRI Mykonos crew launched a sea rescue craft after responding to reports of a mass drowning in progress.
Two men and two boys, from Malmesbury, were caught in an outgoing tide in the lagoon.
Both children and one of the men were rescued, but the other man disappeared under the water.
His body was recovered by paramedics. One of the rescued children sustained minor injuries.
In a separate incident, on Monday afternoon at Dappat se Gat, Kogel Bay, a 27-year-old man got into difficulty in rip currents.
A 21-year-old man, from Kuils River, tried to rescue him, but also got into difficulty and was rescued by lifeguards.
Despite resuscitation efforts the younger man was declared dead on the scene. The older man was able to find a sandbar and get out of the water.
On January 1, a 10-year-old boy from Gugulethu was swept out to sea by rip currents at Clifton.
Sea rescue also found the body of a 26-year-old man, from Delft, at Milnerton Lagoon Beach, while rescuers were searching for an 18-year-old who also drowned.
A man in his late 40s drowned in a swimming pool in Bellville on New Year’s Day.
Metro Emergency Services performed CPR on the man who had become unresponsive after diving into the pool. He was declared dead on the scene.
On January 2, a 31-year-old Eerste River man drowned at Rooi Els while a 40-year-old man drowned while swimming in Hermanus. On the same day the body of a 10-year-old boy, who drowned at Paternoster, was recovered from the ocean floor.
Also on Monday, NSRI Air Sea Rescue was called after a 37-year-old Hout Bay fisherman was seriously injured after being trapped in a winch on a fishing trawler. He is expected to make a full recovery.
Cape Argus
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