Child drowns at Camps Bay tidal pool

Emergency services, including NSRI Bakoven, responded to a drowning at Camps Bay tidal pool on Monday, 5 October. Sadly, an eight-year-old boy could not be resuscitated.

Bevan Geyser, NSRI Bakoven station commander, said:

"At 17h41 on Monday 5 October, NSRI Bakoven duty crew were alerted to a drowning in progress at Camps Bay tidal pool.

The City of Cape Town (CoCT) water rescue network was alerted, and reports indicated that bystanders were performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on a child at the pool.

NSRI Bakoven crew and NSRI medics, Clifton Surf Lifesaving lifeguards, CoCT lifeguards, the Western Cape Government Health Emergency Medical Services rescue squad, ER24 ambulance services, community medics, CoCT Law Enforcement, the South African Police Service and the Camps Bay City Improvement District responded.

On arrival, we found bystander CPR in progress on an eight-year-old boy who had been recovered from the pool unresponsive, we believe by local Good Samaritans.

Extensive advanced life support CPR efforts continued, but sadly, after all efforts to resuscitate the child were exhausted, paramedics declared him deceased.

The boy had reportedly been playing in and around the pool while visiting with his family, believed to be from Somalia and living in Cape Town. It appears he was discovered unresponsive in the pool. He was recovered, bystanders began CPR and the alarm was raised.

The body of the child has been taken into the care of Western Cape Government Health Forensic Pathology Services. Police have opened an inquest docket, and the family are in the care of police.

Condolences are conveyed to the family of the deceased child."