Durban - A day of celebration turned to tragedy for a Pietermaritzburg family when a man, his wife and daughter drowned near the Tongaat River mouth on Saturday afternoon.
Dhanpaul Naidoo turned 65 that day and his two daughters, who worked in Gauteng, decided to take him and their mother, Queenie Naidoo, 63, to the North Coast to celebrate.
One daughter's boyfriend said she was taking photographs when her parents were hit by a large breaking wave.
Dhanpaul tried to help his wife to get back on her feet when a another wave crashed over them.
The siblings went to help their parents and another wave broke.
One of the daughters was unable to pull anyone out of the water and went to get help.
It had been reported that they were guests at the Fairmont Zimbali Lodge.
The daughter was too traumatised to speak to the media on Monday.
Paul Herbst of IPSS Medical Rescue, a private advanced life support service, said they received a call about the drowning at about 3pm.
He said the couple and their daughter were at the water’s edge when a wave swept them away.
“It happened at the mid-break area, near the Tongaat River mouth.”
He said lifeguards pulled them out. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed, but the couple were declared dead at the scene.
The daughter regained a heart rhythm. She was taken to hospital, but died the next day.
Herbst said the surviving daughter was traumatised by the incident and was also taken to hospital.
The Mercury
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