Tragedy Strikes in Gqeberha Over Christmas Period, Child Drowns, Angler Found Dead on Shoreline
- The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) responded to two tragedies over the Christmas period in Gqeberha
- A young boy drowned after he and some friends were swimming near the Swartkops River Bridge
- An angler was found dead on the shoreline in Seaview after he went fishing and never returned home
Source: Getty Images
The Christmas period wasn’t a jolly time of year for the community of Gqeberha.
The tragic deaths of a child and an adult within the space of two days have left the community reeling.
The youngster passed away on Christmas Day, while the adult died a day later on 26 December.
Child drowns near Swartkops River Bridge
According to Justin Erasmus, the Gqeberha station commander for the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), the young boy, whose age is unknown, was swimming with two other children near the Swartkops River Bridge when they encountered difficulties.
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Two of the children got out of the water, but the other youngster went missing.
NSRI rescue swimmers, Coastal Water Rescue (CWR), Blue Water Bay (BWB) lifeguards, a BWB IRB (Inflatable Rescue Boat), the SA Police Services, and Police K9 Search and Rescue all attended the scene to search for the missing boy.
He was eventually found dead in the water by police divers. An inquest docket has been opened into the matter.
Angler found dead on the rocks
On the morning of Boxing Day, the NSRI Gqeberha crew, along with SAPS and Nelson Mandela Bay Fire and Rescue Services, attended a scene where an angler was found dead on some rocks.
The 53-year-old was found on the shoreline at Seaview in Gqeberha.
It was reported that he had been angling along the shore during the night, and when he didn’t return home, his family went looking for him. They then found him dead on the shore.
The body is with the Government’s Health Forensic Pathology Services, and police are investigating the matter.
The two incidents come just more than a month after two lives were lost on the South Coast in two separate drowning-related incidents.
NSRI recover body of 20-year-old
The NSRI were busy in the Eastern Cape before Christmas and recovered a body believed to be a missing 20-year-old.
Briefly News reported that the man went missing on 15 December while swimming at a Sedgefield beach in the Garden Route.
Authorities worked to identify the remains and ascertain whether it was indeed the missing youngster.
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Source: Briefly News
