An 18-year-old boy drowned at Cosy Beach in Cape Town on Saturday afternoon while swimming with friends.
News 24 reported that the incident took place at about 13:30.
ER24 paramedics arrived at 14:05, along with Life Healthcare Emergency Response, to find a group of about five teenagers performing CPR on the rocks, some distance from the shore.
ER24 spokesperson Ross Campbell reported that the boys said they had managed to bring him to the surface after several minutes and had lifted him onto a big rock where they performed CPR.
“The friends had been trying to revive him for about 20 minutes before paramedics arrived. The paramedics continued for some time before, unfortunately, declaring the patient dead on the scene.”
The lifeless teenager was moved to the beach with the help of the National Sea Rescue Institute.
The police and forensic pathologists arrived later on for further investigations, Campbell said.
The number of recorded near and fatal drownings have been particularly high as of late. Just last month (February) saw four youngsters tragically die in one day. Near drowning incidents continue to surge as well.
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The NSRI have taken to Twitter to appeal to the public.
? NSRI Water Safety Alert ?
The #NSRI are appealing to the public to have safety top of mind in and around water.https://t.co/bADpc5dEAr#WaterSafety #Volunteers #SavingLivesOnSouthAfricanWaters
— Sea Rescue South Africa (@NSRI) March 6, 2021
Photo: TripAdvisor