Cape Town - With thousands of families and friends heading to the Cape beaches during the peak holiday season, lifesaving entities appealed to the public to listen to the instructions given by lifeguards and adhere to beach rules after a number of safety issues arose this festive season.
The City and Lifesaving South Africa (LSA) said their biggest challenge this season was members of the public swimming outside designated bathing areas or swimming when lifeguards were off duty, and drunk visitors.
The City shared that 77% of the fatal drownings this season took place on beaches where no lifeguards were on duty, and the other 23% took place outside of designated bathing areas.
Community Services and Health Mayco member, Patricia van der Ross, said: “Lifeguards monitor designated bathing areas and try to prevent incidents outside of those areas as far as possible.
“We cannot monitor all areas, however, and appeal to the public to take responsibility for their safety.”
The LSA president Dhaya Sewduth shared a tragic report of a child that drowned at the Brak River mouth over the New Year weekend, where no lifeguards were patrolling.
Van der Ross said there was a non-fatal drowning of a 25-year-old male on New Year’s Eve at Monwabisi Beach who went swimming after the lifeguards had advised the public that they were going off duty.
Luckily a bystander noticed he was in difficulty in the water and ran to his aid after alerting emergency services.
Sewduth said: “The other difficult challenge is dealing with bathers who come to swim under the influence of alcohol, as these individuals are often uncontrollable. Law enforcement officials must prevent alcohol from being brought onto the beaches.”
The City advised visitors to coastal areas and swimming pools to only swim where there were lifeguards on duty and where signs indicate it was safe to do so and to swim only between the red and yellow flags at the beach, not to to drink and swim, and to always supervise children near water.