Noluthando Mchunu
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) is urging the public to exercise extreme caution around water as temperatures continue to rise and more people head to beaches and swimming spots.
This follows a drowning incident at Umzumbe Beach on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, in which a 32-year-old woman lost her life.
The incident happened on Saturday evening, when the NSRI Shelly Beach duty crew and police search and rescue teams were activated following eyewitness reports of a drowning.
It is alleged that the woman had been swimming with her two children when she got into difficulty in the surf zone. She was reportedly washed closer to the shoreline, where bystanders managed to recover her from the shallow water.
Emergency personnel, including NSRI rescuers, police and a medical evacuation ambulance service, responded to the scene. However, the woman was declared deceased.
The NSRI says beachgoers should only swim at beaches where lifeguards are on duty and remain between the designated red and yellow flags.
Spokesperson Craig Lambinon has also warned about the dangers of rip currents, which can pull swimmers away from the shoreline and into deeper water.
He says parents and caregivers must maintain constant supervision of children around water, even when they are swimming in shallow areas.
Click below to listen to Lambinon’s sentiments…
