NSRI – East London – Monday, 2 December. Fatal drowning of a local child:

Cathrine Prentis, NSRI East London station commander, said: At 14h35, Sunday, 1 December, NSRI East London duty crew were activated following eyewitness reports of a drowning in progress in the surf zone at Eastward Ho, Gonubie.

NSRI East London duty crew responded to the NSRI East London station 7 rescue base to prepare to launch rescue craft while an NSRI off-duty rescue swimmer, who lives nearby to the scene, and our NSRI rescue vehicle, with NSRI rescue swimmers onboard, responded.

Priority Care ambulance services and the SA Police Services were activated.

On arrival on the scene our off-duty NSRI rescue swimmer launched into the water and reached a male child who was floating face down in the water and he rescued the child to the shoreline where CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) efforts commenced.

NSRI medics and Priority Care paramedics continued with extensive CPR efforts but sadly, after all efforts to resuscitate the child were exhausted, the child was declared deceased.

It appears that local children were swimming when the child got into difficulties in the water.

The body of the child has been taken into the care of Government Health Forensic Pathology Services and Police.

Police have opened an Inquest docket.

Condolences are conveyed to the family and friends of the deceased child.