Durban — The police are urging the public to practise water safety after drowning incidents in KwaZulu-Natal over the weekend.
Police were referring to three drownings that took place in the province on Sunday.
Police said that on Sunday that officers from Port Shepstone Search and Rescue, Durban K9 Search and Rescue and MI7 Rescue recovered the body of a 32-year-old man who drowned after he was fishing and slipped and fell into a lagoon.
In the second incident, a 30-year-old man drowned in the Ncazuka River, Sawoti area, in the Ugu District.
Police said that the third incident was reported at the Mtamvuna River in Port Edward, where a 28-year-old male tried to cross the river near the waterworks pump station when he slipped and drowned.
On Sunday night, IPSS Medical Rescue reported a near-drowning in Ballito.
IPSS Medical Rescue said that it responded to a beach near Thompsons Bay following reports of a person who had been pulled from the water unresponsive.
“CPR was immediately initiated by medics on the scene, which resulted in the successful return of circulation. The man was stabilised under the care of IPSS Medical Rescue and Netcare advanced life support,” IPSS Medical Rescue said.
The patient was expected to be transported to a nearby hospital.
These drownings and near-drowning come at a time when emergency services and search and rescue personnel have been searching for drowning victims following last week’s heavy rains and flooding.
Several people were washed away while two others drowned while conducting a cleaning ceremony last Wednesday.
IPSS Medical Service’s Kelsey-Jae Meyrick said that on Friday morning, teams from IPSS Search & Rescue, Umhlali SAPS K9 Search & Rescue, Durban SAPS K9 Search & Rescue, Badul Air and KwaDukuza Municipality (KDM) Maritime Safety returned to the Mvoti River to continue the search for the men who were swept away during a cleansing ceremony.
Meyrick said that on Friday, KwaDukuza Municipality lifeguards recovered the body of one of the men after an area was pointed out by a traditional healer on the scene.
On Saturday, the second body was recovered from the Mvoti River by KDM Marine Safety.
“Both deceased are now accounted for,” Meyrick said.
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