Camps Bay & Clifton Ratepayers & Association

Monday, 30 September 2013

Drownings could have been avoided

CAPE TOWN – Western Province Lifesaving believes the drowning of two North-West pupils at the Camps bay Beach could have been avoided if a contract agreement had been signed with the City of Cape Town.

The agreement ensures paid lifeguards are stationed at Cape Town beaches.

Two boys were swept out to sea in a strong rip current while trying to save a fellow classmate last week.

There were was no lifeguards present at the time of the incident.

One boy survived after being rescued by a Johannesburg man.

Sijadu Mzozoyana accepted a certificate on Saturday for his brave rescue.

The search for the other two continues.

Western Province Lifesaving President Jurie Wessels says, “We’ve had an agreement with the city over the last five years whereby members of volunteer lifeguard clubs do paid lifesaving over certain periods of time in the year. The city’s amenities department has been stalling since April to get a contract into place.”

(Edited by Tamsin Wort)
http://ewn.co.za/2013/09/29/Camps-Bay-drowning-could-have-been-avoided

Beachgoers undeterred by drownings

Over the past week, there have been two separate drowning incidents along the Cape’s coastline.

CAPE TOWN – Western Cape beachgoers have again been urged to exercise caution while swimming in the ocean this summer.

Over the past week, there have been two separate drowning incidents along the Cape’s coastline.

In the first incident, two students from a North West school drowned at Camps Bay beach last week.

In the second incident, a boy drowned at a beach in Melkbosstrand on the West Coast.

Camps Bay was packed on Tuesday with Capetonians lying in the sun, oblivious to a desperate search by police divers for the two teenagers who drowned.

One beachgoer says the drowning incidents are not a deterrent for him.

“Everyone wants to come to the beach. This is not going to stop me from coming to the beach.”

Another beachgoer agreed.

She said, “I don’t think it should scare people away from the beach, but it should make them more aware of the dangers.”

Meanwhile, lifeguards will be back on duty on 29 of the Cape’s beaches as of this weekend following an agreement with the City of Cape Town.

(Edited by Tamsin Wort)
http://ewn.co.za/2013/10/02/Beachgoers-undeterred-by-drownings

Saturday, 28 September 2013

Tragic end to teens’ school tour

The search for the two missing boys at Camps Bay main beach

continued on Thursday morning. Photo : Henk Kruger

Three teams of divers have resumed a search for two missing boys who are feared to have drowned at Camps Bay beach on Wednesday afternoon.

“Depending on conditions, in my previous experience, it can take up to three or four days for the bodies to resurface,” said James Thomsom, vice-president of the Clifton Surf Lifesaving Club.

Divers from Metro Emergency Medical Services, Fire and Rescue Services and the police entered the ocean shortly after dawn. They were supported by police jet skiers and the K-9 unit.

Two teenagers went missing and are presumed dead after they were swept out to sea late on Wednesday afternoon.

The boys, both aged 16, went into the water to rescue a friend, 15, who was struggling against the rip current at around 5pm.

The 15-year-old was rescued by a bystander and taken to hospital in a stable condition. He did not sustain serious injuries and was discharged from hospital this morning, said an EMS spokesman.

The teenagers were on a school tour from North West Province. They attend RB Dithupe Intermediate School in Zeerust, and were due to return home by bus on Thursday.

NSRI spokesman Craig Lambinon said the pupils and teachers from the school would be brought to the beach for “closure” before embarking on their trip home. They were scheduled to arrive at the beach at noon.

The Cape Argus attempted to get comment from the school, but was told by Lambinon that the governing body had asked staff not to talk to the media.

“We have offered a direct line of communication to the parents of the two children, but thus far they have not contacted us. The school’s staff are currently in contact with them. When the time is right, arrangements will be made for the parents to travel to Cape Town to collect the remains and to have a memorial service at the beach, if they so wish,” said Lambinon.

The two missing boys were caught in the current that washes from the middle of Camps Bay beach out towards Glen Beach.

The NSRI were the first to respond, launching a search-and-rescue vessel and divers into the water.

Two hours after the boys’ disappearance, Lambinon said there was little chance they were still alive.

Thomsom was on his way to the beach for a game of touch rugby when the first sign of distress was noticed. Five minutes later, the boys had already disappeared beneath the waves.

“Where these guys got in trouble there is a strong rip current,” he said. “It wouldn’t pull them too far out, but it would make it very hard for them to swim to shore.”

He said the water was around 13 degrees at the time. “The waves, the cold and the rip current are a cocktail for trouble.”

Thomsom added that the incident could have been avoided if lifesavers had been on duty. But it is still the off-season, and lifesavers are not stationed until summer sets in and the beaches get busier.

“If a large group of children are on their way to the beach for an outing, I would suggest that lifesavers are alerted so that special arrangements can be made,” he said.

The classmates and teachers of the missing boys received trauma counselling soon after the incident yesterday.

Cape Argus

Thursday, 26 September 2013

Two teens drown at Camps Bay

The search for two pupils swept out to sea by a rip current has been called off.

Two teenage pupils are missing and presumed dead after being swept out to sea at Camps Bay beach late on Wednesday afternoon.

The boys, both aged 16, went into the water to rescue a friend, 15, who was struggling against the rip current at around 5pm. The 15-year-old was rescued by a bystander and taken to hospital in a stable condition.

The teenagers were on a school tour to Cape Town from the North West province. They attend RB Dithupe Primary in Zeerust, and were due to return home by bus on Thursday.

The two missing boys were caught in the current that washes from the middle of Camps Bay beach out towards Glen Beach.

They disappeared beneath the surf within five minutes.

The NSRI were the first to respond, launching a search-and-rescue vessel and divers into the water. Two hours after the boys’ disappearance, spokesman Craig Lambinon said there was little chance they were still alive.

James Thomsom, vice-president of the Clifton Surf Lifesaving Club, was already on his way to the beach for a game of touch rugby when the first sign of distress was noticed. Five minutes later, the boys had already disappeared beneath the waves.

“Where these guys got in trouble there is a strong rip current,” he said. “It wouldn’t pull them too far out, but it would make it very hard for them to swim to shore.”

He said the water was around 13 degrees at the time. “The waves, the cold and the rip current are a cocktail for trouble.”

Metro Rescue had four divers in the water, working alongside the NSRI against the fading light.

By 7pm it was too dark and they called off the search. Spokesman Alistair Christians said the divers would continue at first light.

A Skymed helicopter was also dispatched to the scene but retired when daylight faded.

At 7.30pm, Lambinon said the case was no longer a rescue mission, and had been handed over to police divers to recover the bodies.

NSRI would continue to assist with beach patrols as low tide approached.

The classmates and teachers of the missing boys received trauma counselling immediately. The school’s principal was still trying to contact the parents of the missing children at the time of going to press.

By Chelsea Geach

Cadet News Agency
Cape Argus