Durban — A teenage boy drowned during a school trip in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) spokesperson Craig Lambinon said that at 3.21pm on Thursday, the NSRI St Lucia duty crew and iSimangaliso Wetland Park rangers responded to Jabula Beach, St Lucia, following reports of a drowning in progress.
Lambinon said that on arrival at the scene it was revealed that a 16-year-old pupil was missing in the surf.
“The teenager was believed to have been caught in rip currents before disappearing under water while wading in the water during a local school outing,” Lambinon said.
He said that teachers and carers had raised the alarm following the incident.
“NSRI St Lucia launched the sea rescue craft Rescue 40 Alpha.
“NSRI crew and park rangers conducted shoreline search efforts, including spotters positioned high up on elevated dunes, while the sea rescue craft conducted a sea search,” Lambinon said.
He said that police and search-and-rescue were alerted.
“Despite an extensive search no sign of the teenager was found,” Lambinon said.
“During ongoing search efforts on Friday, iSimangaliso Wetland Park rangers located the body of the teenager on rocks on the shoreline, north of St Lucia, at First Rocks.”
Lambinon said that NSRI St Lucia, government health forensic pathology services and police were alerted.
He said that the NSRI St Lucia duty crew and pathology services responded to the scene to assist.
“NSRI rescue swimmers recovered the body from rocks on the shoreline,” Lambinon said.
He said the body of the teenager was taken into the care of pathology services.
He added that police opened an inquest docket.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala confirmed that an inquest docket was being investigated by Mtubatuba SAPS.
“The circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated.”
Elsewhere, on August 13, police divers from Durban SAPS, metro police search and rescue and Durban K9 were called out to Inanda Dam for a drowning during a prayer ceremony in Matabetule.
Two bodies, male and female, were recovered.
#sapsKZN Earlier today Police Divers from Durban SAPS Search and Rescue along with Metro Police SAR and DBN K9SAR were called out to Inanda Dam for a drowning during the prayer ceremony in Matabetule. Two bodies, male & female were recovered. TM pic.twitter.com/7Swt1vRpff
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) August 13, 2022
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