The City of Cape Town has commended its Recreation and Parks Department’s seasonal lifeguards, who have had their hands full responding to incidents since the start of December.
Also read: Congested Cape Town beach sees fatal and near-fatal drowning incidents
A total of seven drownings have been recorded since the beginning of the month, and one person missing at sea is presumed dead. About 11 non-fatal drownings were also recorded.
These are the numbers:
- 5 December: Clifton 4th Beach, 58-year-old male
- 6 December: Strandfontein Beach, 21-year-old female
- 11 December: Lagoon Beach, 30-year-old male
- 16 December: Wolfgat coastline, adult female
- 28 December: Kogel Bay, 41-year-old male
- 1 January: Sonwabe Beach, 18-year-old male
- 1 January: Sonwabe Beach, 24-year-old male
- 1 January: Sonwabe Beach, 28-year-old male (missing at sea)
The Mayco member for community services and health, Councillor Patricia Van der Ross, says these incidents either occurred at beaches that don’t have designated swimming areas or outside of lifeguard duty hours.
‘We still have a few months of beach weather lying in wait, so I want to renew my appeal to the public to please abide by the rules, for their (…) safety. Swim only where lifeguards are present, and listen to their instructions when you do go into the water.’
‘Our lifeguards and support services have been working incredibly hard thus far this season, even extending their hours on occasion where beaches have been very busy. But they can only do so much – safety is a shared responsibility.’
Furthermore, the City’s Identikidz project has resulted in 85 916 children being tagged by 1 January 2024. Of these, 263 have been reunited with their caregivers.
‘Beaches along the False Bay coast between Muizenberg and Strand have recorded the highest number of children being tagged since the project started,’ says Van der Ross.
‘Unsurprisingly, the New Year’s long weekend has been busiest thus far, with 36 959 children tagged, and 198 reunions. Identikidz will still be available over the next three weekends at the participating beaches, and we encourage parents to continue working with us, and to make use of this incredibly valuable service.’
These are the participating beaches where you can get your child tagged:
- Big Bay
- Camps Bay
- Fish Hoek
- Gordon’s Bay
- Harmony Park
- Melkbosstrand
- Milnerton Beach
- Mnandi
- Monwabisi
- Muizenberg
- Sea Point and surrounding area
- Silwerstroom
- Strand
- Strandfontein
Maiden’s Cove was included on the list of participating beaches on 26 December and 1 January.
Also read:
Cape Town’s Identikidz initiative reunites 38 children with parents
Picture: Duncan Meyer / Unsplash