Cape Town - The scorching weather at the weekend left mayhem on several beaches after several drownings and near-drownings were responded to.
In the latest incident, a man’s body was discovered in the De La Bat swimming pool in the Breede Valley Municipality.
Following the incidents, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) is now appealing to the public to only swim where they are visible to lifeguards and warned them to be cautious.
“We are asking bathers to only swim at lifeguard protected beaches and parents to ensure that a responsible adult is dedicated to watching over children while they are in and around water.
“Warm weather is forecast by the SA Weather Service to persist around parts of South Africa and we are appealing to the public to be safe around water.”
The NSRI said lifeguards and even members of the public had jumped in to save lives as dramatic scenes played out at sea.
At the weekend, one man drowned at Strand beach while another was missing near Sonwabe.
NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon explained their teams were called out to Strand beach where a man had drowned and later to Strandfontein near Sonwabe where the search continues for a man at sea.
“At 2.51pm on Sunday, lifeguards at Strand Beach reported CPR in progress on a man that was recovered from the water lifeless.
“GB Med ambulance services assisted lifeguards at the scene but sadly after all efforts to resuscitate the man were exhausted he was declared dead. It is believed that this was a drowning accident.”
Police have opened an inquest docket and the body of the man was taken into the care of Government Health Forensic Pathology Services.
“On arrival, in Sonwabe Beach, one male was found to be out of the water and safe and a 28-year-old man, from Philippi, was missing in the surf zone.
“Eye witnesses confirmed that the man was last seen disappearing under water.”
Lambinon said a helicopter had been used for further assistance with the rescue which is currently still under way while another man had been rescued at Monwabisi Beach.
“The SAPS and a Police Dive Unit will continue in an ongoing search operation. While rescue services were on that scene searching a man in his mid 30s got into difficulty in the surf zone at the same location. He was rescued by lifeguards and treated for non-fatal drowning symptoms. Our thoughts are with the family of the missing man in this difficult time.
“Earlier in the day Monwabisi lifeguards rescued a man in the surf zone at Monwabisi Beach and he was transported to hospital in a stable condition by Western Cape Government Health EMS ambulance.’’
Lambinon said a teenager had also been rescued at Melkbosstrand Beach by lifeguards.
The 16-year-old had received CPR, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, and was transported to hospital, he said.
At Simon’s Town a crew were rescued when their vessel experienced gearbox failure and another person was also brought to safety.
Lambinon said: “On arrival at the scene we found a bystander had used an NSRI pink rescue buoy, that is stationed at that beach, to successfully rescue a person from the water who was not injured.
At Mykonos, a good Samaritan saved the day while working with a NSRI off-duty crew to rescue a man, a girl and an elderly woman.
“An NSRI off-duty crewman, used an NSRI pink rescue buoy and a female good Samaritan used an NSRI pink rescue buoy to rescue two people who were in distress. While swimming a man and a girl were swept out to sea in rip currents and an elderly woman on a body board was swept out to sea at the same time.”
At Kommetjie Beach, four people came into difficulty and had been caught in a rip current when they were rescued by another good Samaritan.
“On arrival on the scene it was found that surfers had rescued three people from the water and no further assistance was required. Earlier in the day, bystanders had intervened when four people got into difficulty in the water.
“They were reportedly caught in rip currents when bystanders intervened, one armed with a pink rescue buoy. The bystanders rescued three of the swimmers safely to the beach and the good Samaritan with the pink rescue buoy was able to bring the fourth person safely to the beach.”
In Bakoven, a person was rescued by bystanders on Sunday.
The Breede Valley Municipality also confirmed the death of a 30-year-old man whose body was found in the De La Bat Swimming Pool yesterday. | Weekend Argus