A CAPE Town man has drowned after being swept by heavy currents while walking near the Grotto East lagoon mouth, near Hermanus, with his daughter and grandson on Saturday .
NSRI Hermanus station commander, Andre Barnard, said: “It appears that the man had been walking at the lagoon with his daughter and his grandson when he and the grandson may have waded in shallow water along the shore of the lagoon before being caught in currents. The lagoon had broken its banks last week in heavy rainfall.”
Barnard said the 66-year-old man was assisted to shore by his daughter and a bystander, and the child waded ashore.
“On getting the man to the shore, the bystander initiated CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) efforts and NSRI Hermanus duty crew, Western Cape Government Health EMS, CMC ambulance services and the SA Police Services were activated.
“An NSRI Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedic was able to reach them on the other side of the lagoon where the man was declared dead. The 9-year-old child was not injured,” he said.
The body has been taken into the care of the Western Government Health Forensic Pathology Services. Police have opened an inquest docket.