NATIONAL NEWS - Seventeen swimming pools and the majority of the main beaches have re-opened across the eThekwini Municipality following closures due to repairs, Covid-19 and worrying E. Coli levels.
While the opening of beaches and pools were met with mixed reactions from Durban residents, it also means lifesaving and emergency rescue teams have to be on high alert, especially since KZN has been named the drowning capital of South Africa.
Recent statistics released by the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) reveal that KZN had the highest incidents of drowning compared to other provinces between 2016 and 2021. NSRI said the second-highest number of drownings came from the Eastern Cape, followed by Gauteng, and the Western Cape.
The study also indicated that the zero-to-four-year age group has the highest prevalence of drownings among all age categories. In the same week the statistics were released, two children, aged nine and five, died after a drowning incident at a Durban South Beach hotel.
According to Emer-G-Med paramedics spokesperson Kyle van Reenen, a five-year-old girl and a nine-year-old girl were found in a state of cardiac arrest. “Resuscitation efforts and several advanced life-support intervention methods were exhausted for over an hour.
“However, we were unsuccessful, and the two children were sadly declared dead on the scene,” said Van Reenen.
Siyasindisa Academy
Durban lifesaver and founder of Siyasindisa Academy, Charles Khumalo, said with the festive season already in full swing and the beaches and pools open, people should remember to swim only in designated areas to avoid drowning.
Siyasindisa is a Durban-based water safety academy teaching township and rural children in KZN how to swim, surf and canoe.
The first thing is that people should swim in areas patrolled by lifeguards. At beaches, people should swim where there are yellow and blue flags, and only swim in the hours that people are permitted to swim.
He said the festive season is when the most drownings take place. “People drown due to the fact that they don’t follow instructions and swim where no lifeguards are present,” he said, adding that people also drown while intoxicated and drugged.
He added that large crowds also lead to peoples’ drowning. Khumalo emphasised that children should always swim under adult supervision, and stick to shallow water at all times.
Reacting to KZN being named the drowning capital of South Africa by the NSRI, Khumalo said it was no surprise as the province has a lot of water bodies surrounding it and a lot of people don’t know how to swim due to the background they come from.
