A KwaZulu-Natal family is mourning after three of their children, all in high school, drowned while swimming during a family holiday.
KZN Education MEC Mbali Frazer visited the Zikhali family in the KwaJobe area of Jozini, in uMkhanyakude District, on Monday.
On the KZN Department of Education Facebook page, the department said the Zikhali family lost three children who reportedly drowned while swimming in Sodwana Bay during a family holiday.
“While two bodies of the three children were retrieved and buried yesterday (Monday), the third child is still missing,” the department said. “The children were in grades 8, 9, and 10 at Lifalethu High School.”
Frazer visited the family to convey her condolences.
“We know that words cannot bring them back, especially those that we buried, but we are here to support the family during this difficult time,” Frazer said.
She told the family that this was also a sad loss to the department, because teachers and pupils become one family; therefore, losing a pupil’s life equals losing a family member.
Here is Lifesaving South Africa’s advice on how to stay safe when relaxing at beaches and inland waterways:
- Know your limits. Be careful if the sea is too rough, you could be swept away. Rough seas are as dangerous as rip currents. Weak swimmers can easily be swept into deep waters. If you experience strong waves, get out of the sea, or at least do not go in deep.
- Swim where there are qualified lifeguards on duty who are trained to prevent drowning by identifying the dangers in the water, positioning the swimming beacons at a safe swimming point, and when needed, performing rescues, first aid and CPR.
- Swim between the red and yellow flags. These indicate the daily safe designated area that has been identified by lifeguards where it is a safe area to swim.
- Avoid open drains and culverts: the water levels in these will rise rapidly following storms.
- Never swim while you are intoxicated. Alcohol impairs judgement and unnecessary risks are taken. An intoxicated swimmer will tire more easily, increasing the chance of an accident or drowning.
- Check with the lifeguards on duty what the surf conditions are before entering the sea. Before entering, also take time to watch the waves and identify the rip currents.
- Listen to the lifeguards when they give you directions or instructions.
- Avoid swimming immediately after a big meal, as this could cause cramps.
- Do not swim in river mouths or dirty water, very early in the morning, in the early evening or after it has rained, as shark activity increases in these conditions.
- Be careful of bluebottles, they can be harmful.
- Never leave a young child unattended near water and never make a child responsible for another child – not even for five minutes. Teach children to always ask permission to go near water.
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Daily News