Durban - A 29-year-old man drowned at a community pool in Tongaat on New Year’s Day. Several other drownings have been reported at a number of beaches in KwaZulu-Natal during the festive season.
Reaction Unit SA spokesperson, Prem Balram, said the shortly after 1pm, his team was called out to the pool.
It is believed that the man was part of a large crowd of people enjoying the sunshine and cool waters at the pool in Buffelsdale when tragedy struck.
“We were told that the man had been pulled out of the water by a lifeguard. He was unresponsive. When RUSA officers arrived, CPR was being administered to the patient. Paramedics from three private ambulance services took over resuscitation efforts however attempts to revive the victim was unsuccessful and he was declared deceased at the scene,” Balram said.
He said the man’s family said the man has entered the water and was wearing a snorkel.
“They said when they noticed him floating for a while, they assumed that he was breathing through the snorkel. After several minutes they informed lifeguards at the pool that the swimmer was not moving and had become unresponsive,” Balram said.
He added that the circumstances surrounding the victim's death has not been established at this stage.