Cape Town – Child safety was a priority for authorities, tagging more than 7 000 children to ensure they were not lost among the thousands who flocked to the city’s beaches for traditional New Year’s Day celebrations yesterday.
More than 70 000 kids had been tagged since the launch of the Identikidz project in mid-December, according to law enforcement director Robbie Roberts.
The Identikidz project is run at 16 beaches around the metropole where children are tagged as they arrive at the beach.
“Unfortunately, there have also been several incidents that are of grave concern, including two young girls who were left behind at the beach - their parents only realised that they were missing when they arrived home.
"Identikidz staff ensured that the children were safely reunited with their families, and notified the Western Cape Department of Social Development,” said Mayco member for community services and health Zahid Badroodien.
The City’s Recreation and Parks Department said it had lifeguards on duty throughout the day to look after the safety of bathers.
Mayor Dan Plato and Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith conducted an aerial and foot infrastructure patrol at Muizenberg beach, where thousands of people spent their new year.
Smith said: “The aerial patrol allowed us to cover more distance over a shorter period of time, it was very efficient.
“There were no serious incidents, mainly kids coming to our first aid tents with bluebottle stings. Law enforcement was running checkpoints and confiscated quite a bit of alcohol.”
NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said rescue services were kept busy, responding to a number of incidents and a drowning in Kleinmond.
Lambinon said NSRI Kleinmond was activated by police reporting CPR in progress at the main beach.
“On arrival at the scene, the NSRI found an anaesthetist and two medical doctors there on holiday continuing with CPR on a male in his twenties,” Lambinon said.
It is understood the man was pulled out of the water by a bystander. Despite the CPR efforts, he was declared dead.
NSRI Kleinmond also responded to Betty’s Bay main beach following reports of a drowning in progress. A Moroccan, aged 28, was treated on the scene for non-fatal drowning symptoms after he was caught in rip currents.
At Strandfontein Beach, the NSRI crew assisted a female at their base who was reporting contractions.
“NSRI Strandfontein medical staff including volunteers, assisted in the birth of a baby boy,” Lambinon said. Netcare ambulance services and provincial EMS responded and the mother and her newborn son were transported to hospital.
“The next few days are critical, a lot of people will be at our beaches, especially as the weekend approaches. We are appealing to parents to ensure that their children have responsible adult supervision in and around water.
"We have had quite a number of incidents today (Wednesday), with children going missing on our beaches around the country,” Lambinon said.
Elsewhere, five people were killed on the province's roads on New Year’s Eve.
Provincial traffic chief Kenny Africa said: “Two people died in separate incidents on the R43 Wolseley-Ceres Road and near Baden Powell in Cape Town.
"Three passengers died when the driver of their vehicle lost control and overturned near Nduli, in Ceres, in the Witzenberg Local Municipality.”
Africa said provincial traffic officers arrested a taxi driver in Kaaimans River Pass, close to Wilderness, near the Garden Route, for reckless and negligent driving.