The City of Cape Town’s Recreation and Parks Department has called on bathers and beachgoers to exercise caution in and around the ocean. Two teenagers fatally drowned on Saturday and 56 children who had been lost on City beaches were reunited with their parents over the long weekend.
The teenagers went missing in the water at Wittewaters in Table View and to date, only one of the bodies has been recovered.
This pushes the number of fatal drownings to 12, already surpassing the total for the previous season.
Lifeguards and other rescue agencies were also called into action on numerous occasions in the last week.
They assisted in 11 non-fatal drowning incidents which included a family of six who had been caught in a rip current at Clovelly.
Two more non-fatal drownings were due to bathers caught in rip currents, while in another incident, a man who dove off a jetty into the shallow end of a tidal pool was found unconscious by lifeguards.
‘It is absolutely heart-breaking to lose a loved one, particularly at this time of year. The City campaigns to keep beachgoers safe as far as possible with the provision of lifeguards, resources and a deluge of information. We urgently need our bathers to exercise caution in and around the ocean. We want all beachgoers to enjoy their holiday, but to do so without endangering themselves or anyone else,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
The City’s Identikidz project, facilitated by the Social Development and Early Childhood Development Department, had a strong start over the long weekend, with 21 510 children tagged at 16 beaches across the metropole.
Children arriving at the beaches are issued with an identification armband and should the child be separated from their caregiver/parent, staff will work with other role-players to ensure the reunification of lost children.
‘Of the number of children who were tagged, 56 wandered away from their group, but because of the programme they were all reunited with loved ones. The Identikidz Programme has to be commended for ensuring that little ones who get lost are returned safely. However, this does not mean parents or caregivers can abdicate their responsibility and I urge them to keep an eye on their children,’ said Councillor Badroodien.
Beachgoers are reminded of the four key messages aimed at keeping them safe:
Swim between the red and yellow flags only where lifeguards are present
Supervise children at all times
Beware of rip currents
Don’t drink and swim
The City has 282 seasonal beach lifeguards, in addition to 11 permanent senior beach lifeguards, who are stationed at 26 locations along the coast, including certain tidal pools.
‘Follow the rules to stay safe. Don’t underestimate the power of the ocean and make sure you swim where you can see our lifeguards. Drowning is preventable but we cannot do it alone. I implore bathers to help us keep them safe,’ said Councillor Badroodien.
The City’s 24-hour Public Emergency Communication Centre (PECC) will be adequately staffed to ensure that all incidents received are logged and dispatched to the relevant service providers.
Source: City Of Cape Town