Durban - A teenager drowned while allegedly retrieving a soccer ball from a dam on Thursday afternoon.
According to Dylan Meyrick from IPSS Medical Rescue, reports from scene indicate that a 14 -year-old boy entered the water to retrieve a soccer ball.
“Unfortunately he got into difficulty and disappeared beneath the water.”
Mayrick said that they, together with SAPS Search and Rescue, began a dive operation.
According to Paul Herbst from Medi Response, the teams went about search patterns and a short while in, K9 Dante indicated a location, where the child’s body was recovered.
Two weeks ago, three people drowned off Durban’s North Beach. In a statement eThekwini Municipality said they drowned on December 17 after being swept out to sea by rip currents.
The city said it took a team of 35 lifeguards to execute a mass rescue effort and another team of paramedics to attend to the more than 100 people who were involved in the incident.
“Despite the best efforts of the emergency response team, three people lost their lives, with others were transported to hospital.”
One of the victim was a 10-year-old Hammarsdale boy. His mother told News24 they were on an annual beach day trip at the time.
Slindile Nene told News24 that she was in the water when “a freak wave” struck. She was deep in the ocean while her son, who was afraid of the sea, had been standing near the shoreline.
IOL