A child drowns in the canal at Muizenberg Beach

At 17h25 (Tuesday, 12th November) NSRI Simons Town and NSRI Strandfontein crews were activated following reports from the City of Cape Town Law Enforcement Marine Unit of a 11 year old male child drowning in progress at Muizenberg Beach in the Canal by Super Tubes.NSRI Simons Town and NSRI Strandfontein volunteer sea rescue duty crews prepared to launch sea rescue craft while NSRI mobile units, WC Government Health EMS and an EMS rescue squad, CMR (Cape Medical Response), Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services, SA Police Services responded to join Law Enforcement officers already on the scene.Law Enforcement officers rescued the lifeless body of the child from the water and bringing the child to the shore where Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) efforts commenced.Advanced Life Support CPR was conducted by paramedics on the scene but after extensive efforts to resuscitate the child were exhausted on the scene the child was declared deceased by paramedics.It appears that the child was at the beach with friends and had climbed into the water before getting into difficulty and drowning. It is suspected that the child may have been under water for an extensive period of time while his friends attempted to raise the alarm. Law Enforcement officers were informed and they reacted immediately while activating an emergency response and were able to recover the body and begin CPR. The child may have been submerged in water for at least 45 minutes before being rescued.Police are attempting to locate the family of the deceased child who is from Capricorn Park and an inquest docket will be opened by Police.Our thoughts are with the friends and family of the young boy. image source: www.walkthecape.co.za