Eastern Cape Multiple Water Incidents: 2 children in a fatal drowning and a child recovering following a non-fatal drowning

MORGAN BAY: On Sunday, 15 December, NSRI Kei Mouth duty crew were activated following reports of a drowning in progress at Morgan Bay Lagoon, Eastern Cape.

A 12 year old female had disappeared under water while swimming at around 13h44.

Friends had run to call the Great Kei Mouth Municipal lifeguards who were on duty at Morgan Bay.

An eyewitness, formerly an NSRI lifeguard, had entered the water to commence a search.

He was joined by Great Kei Mouth Municipal lifeguards and they were able to quickly locate and recover the child from the water. CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) efforts commenced.

Lifeguards were using equipment supplied to them by Morgan Bay Ratepayers Association and NSRI Lifesaving.

Spontaneous breathing and a pulse was restored during CPR efforts.

NSRI Kei Mouth, Morgan Bay Hotel staff, local Morgan Bay ratepayers Association members, a former Mountain Club of South Africa member, Alderson's ambulance services and a nurse, who is associated with NSRI station 47 Kei Mouth, responded and joined the lifeguards on the scene.

The child, in a serious condition, was transported to hospital by Alderson's ambulance, in the care of paramedics, where NSRI has learned that ongoing medical treatment by doctors and nurses administered to the child in ICU, for non-fatal drowning symptoms, was successful and the child is recovering.

NSRI commend the swift response by all involved as well as the Morgan Bay Ratepayers Association and NSRI Lifesaving, for sponsoring the lifeguard equipment to the Great Kei River Municipal lifeguards, that was used to contribute to saving the child’s life.

GREAT KEI RIVER:

NSRI are sad to inform that on Friday, 13 December, local community members located and recovered the bodies of 2 teenagers, believed to both be aged 13, from the Great Kei River, approximately 20 kilometers inland of Kei River Mouth, Eastern Cape.

NSRI Kei Mouth had been alerted during the afternoon of 11 December of a drowning in progress on the Great Kei River.

The SA Police Services and Police K9 Search and Rescue attended at the scene where during ongoing search efforts local community members reported that they had found the 2 children.

The bodies of the 2 children were taken into the care of Police and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services.

Police have opened Inquest dockets.

Condolences are conveyed to families and friends of the 2 deceased children.