Cape Town - A call beach safety is being reiterated after the tragic incident over the weekend at Logies Bay, adjacent to Llandudno Beach, where a teenager believed to have slipped off a rock was found deceased in the water the next day.
Rescue and water safety stakeholders have called for increased vigilance near water bodies this summer, especially as the majority of drownings occur in the Western Cape in the warmer seasons of spring and summer, with almost half of these fatalities taking place over weekends and public holidays.
Community services and health Mayco member Patricia van der Ross said: “There have been 56 drownings at public beaches and swimming pools during the peak summer seasons in the City since 2019.
“There were 13 in 2019, nine in 2020, 15 in 2021 and 19 drownings so far in the current year.
“The number of fatal drownings is disheartening, given the many awareness drives and campaigns from the City to prevent these incidents.”
Van der Ross reminded beachgoers to only swim where lifeguards were present and where signs indicate it was safe to do so, to always supervise children near water, to swim between the red and yellow flags set up by lifeguards at the beach, and remember that alcohol was not permitted on City beaches or at public swimming pools as it results in slow physical reaction time.
Lifesaving South Africa general manager Helen Herbert said: “Anyone can drown, no one should. Supervision is key to the safety of water users in the upcoming season.”
Lifesaving SA’s message to families and beachgoers for the summer season was to never swim alone and to only swim where lifeguards were present. Herbert added that fishers should wear life jackets when fishing off rocks and should never fish alone.
“If you see someone in difficulty, call the lifeguards immediately or activate the emergency services as soon as possible if you are at a venue without lifeguards,” Herbert said.
Van der Ross said the four main bodies of water account for the majority of fatal drownings in the Western Cape were: harbours and tidal pools (27.1%), ponds, dams and lakes (25.%), rivers and canals (22.9%) and swimming pools (12.4%).
Local Government MEC Anton Bredell added that the prevention of drowning was the responsibility of all and encouraged support for people and organisations who worked to keep the public safe when close to water.