Durban - A 44-year-old father, his 14-year-old son and the family dog all drowned in rough surf at a beach in La Mercy yesterday afternoon, Friday.
The man’s 18-year-old son was also swept away in rip currents at the beach but managed to cling onto rocks and get back to shore.
Soon after midday, fishermen saw the father and son getting into difficulty in the surf while swimming at a beach along South Beach Road. They called Reaction Unit South Africa who sent reaction officers and medics to the beach.
Prem Balram of Reaction Unit SA said on arrival they found the older man in the surf. He was declared dead at the scene.
The unit’s helicopter lifted off from Verulam and searched for the teenager. “After a brief low-level search, the pilot spotted the boy floating about 100m from where he entered the surf,” Balram said. “Paramedics retrieved the body of the teenager but he showed no signs of life and was declared dead.”
Balram said that, according to witnesses, the father and son were swimming when they began to experience difficulty. “Their dog entered the water in what is believed to be a rescue attempt, however it also drowned. The dog’s leash was still attached to the collar.
“The dead man’s 18-year-old son also witnessed the events. He was also swept out but managed to grab onto the rocks and get out of the water,” Balram said.
Paul Herbst from IPSS Medical Rescue confirmed that the father, son and family dog, a pitbull cross, had drowned at La Mercy Beach. He said it was believed the boy had been swept out onto rocks and the father and the dog may have been trying to rescue him.
The Independent on Saturday