Camps Bay tragedy: 8 Year-old drowns on last day of school holiday

An 8-year-old boy has tragically drowned on Camps Bay beach in Cape Town on Monday, 5 October, the last day of school holidays.

The tragedy comes as the search continues for the bodies of three other teens – one in Cape Vidal, another at Mtunzini Main Beach and a third at Glen Beach in Cape Town – who were all swept out to sea during strong rip currents.

YOUNG BOY DROWNS ON CAMPS BAY BEACH

National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) confirmed that an 8-year-old boy had drowned while swimming in the Camps Bay tidal pool on Monday, 5 October – the last day of the third term school holidays.

The CoCT (City of Cape Town) water rescue network was alerted, with authorities on the scene including NSRI Bakoven crew and medics, Clifton Surf Lifesaving lifeguards, CoCT lifeguards, various ambulance and law enforcement personnel, and  Camps Bay CID (City Improvement District).

Despite extensive advanced life support CPR efforts to resuscitate the child, he was declared deceased by paramedics.

NSRI stated that the child, believed to be a foreign national living in Cape Town, had visited the Camps Bay tidal pool with family.

Police have opened an inquest.

SEARCH CONTINUES FOR MISSING TEENS

Meanwhile, the NSRI has continued its search for three teenage boys, who have all been presumed drowned during various incidents over the past few days.

Last Thursday, 19-year-old Jonathan Bradfield was swept out to sea at Mtunzini Main Beach whilst swimming in the surf zone.

The Eastern Cape matric learner had been visiting KwaZulu-Natal with his girlfriend and her family. 

Another learner, a 16-year-old from Mtubatuba, went missing whilst swimming at Cape Vidal Beach on Saturday. The teen and a 14-year-old pal, who was later rescued, were also caught in rip currents.

A third teen, an 18-year-old from Mfuleni, is also presumed to have drowned after he disappeared in the surf at Glen Beach in Camps Bay over the weekend.