An 18-year-old woman was rescued from near-drowing at Struisbaai Main Beach by crew from NSRI.
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- A young woman was rescued from drowning at Struisbaai Main Beach and is recovering in hospital in a stable condition.
- A 51-year-old man drowned in Palmiet Lagoon after going missing underwater.
- Another tragedy unfolded as a 14-year-old boy drowned at Danger Bay despite rescue efforts.
An 18-year-old woman was rescued after a near-drowning, while a 51-year-old man and 14-year-old boy drowned on Saturday.
The teenager, from the Langeberg local municipality area, had been swimming with her friends when she encountered difficulties at Struisbaai Main Beach on Saturday.
A witness noticed her distress and alerted the nearby National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) crew, said Shaun Nortje, NSRI Agulhas deputy station commander.
She was face down in the water among a crowd of swimmers in the surf zone.
Nortje added that the rescuers swam to the surf zone and secured her before taking her to the beach where resuscitation efforts began.
She regained spontaneous breathing and was transported to hospital by ambulance. She was in a serious but stable condition in hospital.
READ | ‘Not my precious little boy’: Saldanha Bay parents in disbelief after son, 14, drowns
In a separate incident, a 51-year-old man from Wellington went missing while swimming in the Palmiet Lagoon with friends. His two friends lost sight of him while swimming towards the shoreline.
“During an extensive search effort, the man was located underwater in the Palmiet Lagoon and recovered,” said NSRI Kleinmond station commander Schalk Boonzaaier.
He was declared dead by paramedics.
The incidents come after another teenager drowned in Saldanha Bay on Saturday.
Christiano van Reenen, 14, went missing in the water while swimming with friends at Tabakbaai (Danger Bay).
Western Cape police spokesperson, Captain Frederick van Wyk, said the boys decided to go swimming at Danger Bay at 10:00.
Van Wyk said:
At the beach, they enjoyed games and relaxed, [and] four of them went into the water. About 10 minutes later, the tide rose rapidly. An older boy urged everyone to get out and managed to help two friends who were nearer to the shore. However, he had difficulty assisting the deceased, because of a powerful current.
“Despite rescue efforts, the current carried the deceased further out to sea, and he quickly vanished from view. This was immediately reported to authorities, and NSRI and Sea Border Police attended to the scene,” he said.
Van Wyk said the teen’s body was found at about 18:45. He was brought to shore, where he was declared deceased.
