Wilderness: Child drowns at lagoon

At 17h49 on Saturday the 12th of April, NSRI Wilderness volunteer sea rescue duty crew were activated following reports of an 8 year old local boy missing at the lagoon on Touws River (adjacent to the N2 Freeway), Wilderness.Our NSRI volunteer sea rescue duty crew and the SA Police Services responded to the scene where, as NSRI volunteers arrived, a female bystander had located and was in the process of recovering the body of the child from the water.Our NSRI medics commenced Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) on the child who was found to be breathless and pulseless from suspected drowning. WC Government Health EMS were summoned to the scene and advanced life support CPR continued in the ambulance en route to hospital where extensive CPR efforts continued in hospital but sadly after all efforts to resuscitate the child were exhausted he was declared deceased by doctors.It was established that the 8 year old had disappeared under water while swimming with friends. While the alarm was raised a search had commenced along the banks of the lagoon. A female bystander had located and recovered the body of the child from the lagoon after she happened to come across it floating semi submerged in the water (as Sea Rescue were arriving on the scene).Police have opened an inquest docket.Sincerest Condolences are expressed to the family of the deceased boy.