The Mother City is being hit with a massive heatwave this week, with temperatures reaching the mid 40s in some areas. The City of Cape Town has thus issued a warning for all residents to practice caution this week when visiting public pools or swimming at home.
“While the festive season has now wrapped up, the reality is that we are in the midst of a heatwave, which means that numbers at our swimming pools are likely to increase in the afternoons when school lets out. I appeal to parents and children to be extremely cautious. Our facilities are meant to provide a reprieve from the summer heat, and we want everyone to enjoy them, and to do so safely.”
Lifeguard Sonwabo Magqazolo also cautions people to be aware of the signage when visiting the beach.
“We urge all beachgoers to take note of signage at the beach which has important information on where rip currents occur and the safest place to swim. It’s important that the public swim only in designated bathing areas, where lifeguards are on duty,” he said.
According to the City, there were 14 fatal drownings and 51 non-fatal drowning incidents this festive season. Of the fatal drowning incidents, 85% of victims were male and the majority were teenagers. 72.5% of the non-fatal incidents were male and children under the age of 12 accounted for nearly 35% of all victims.
Also read: Weather warning issued for parts of the Cape
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