Eight-year-old boy dies after drowning at Camps Bay tidal pool

An afternoon at the Camps Bay tidal pool ended in tragedy on Monday, 5 October, when an eight-year-old boy died after being found unresponsive in the water, Cape {town} Etc reports.

The child, who is believed to have come from a Somali family residing in Cape Town, was reportedly enjoying a day out with relatives when the tragic event occurred.

According to National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Bakoven’s station commander, Bevan Geyser, the emergency services were alerted at 17:41 to a drowning in progress at the popular tidal pool.

‘The City of Cape Town (CoCT) Water Rescue Network was immediately activated, with reports indicating that bystanders were performing CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) on the child,’ Geyser said.

Rescue efforts were quickly amplified, with a coordinated response from a multitude of agencies, including NSRI medics, Clifton Surf Lifesaving lifeguards, and the Western Cape Government Health EMS rescue squad.

Local law enforcement and community medics also rushed to the scene to assist.

Upon arrival, rescuers observed that bystander CPR efforts were already underway, initiated by local Good Samaritans who successfully recovered the unresponsive child from the tidal pool.

Despite the extensive advanced life support CPR efforts that followed, tragically, all attempts to resuscitate the boy were in vain. He was later pronounced deceased by paramedics on the scene.

Craig Lambinon, a spokesperson for the NSRI, conveyed his condolences to the grieving family.

He noted that the child, who was under the supervision of family members at the time, had been playing in and around the tidal pool when he was discovered submerged.

‘The body of the child has been taken into the care of the Government Health Forensic Pathology Service,’ Lambinon added, confirming that the police have since opened an inquest docket into the incident.