What started as a fun day turned into a tragedy when a young girl drowned at Eastern Beach in East London on Sunday while swimming with friends.
Commenting on Facebook on Monday, a witness told how the girl was swept away in full view of her friends and beachgoers.
“That girl drowned in the afternoon. We were there, it was between 4 and 5pm,” the witness said.
“There were three schoolgirls between the ages of 14 and 15. Two were able to be rescued but the third one, after many times of trying to lift her hand up and down, disappeared.”
Buffalo City Metro spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya said lifeguards had tried in vain to rescue “the drowning person".
“The lifeguards were walking home after finishing duty when they spotted somebody going under the water,” Ngwenya said.
“They ran back to try to rescue her but were unsuccessful.
“Our teams are still on the lookout for a sighting.”
He urged families who were missing a relative to go to their nearest police station.
Ngwenya urged revellers to enjoy themselves responsibly on the beach this summer.
“With the start of the summer swimming season, we are calling on beachgoers to swim within demarcated areas where lifeguards operate, and not to swim after hours or while intoxicated,” he said.
“We also urge people to respect the ocean and not swim too far out.
“Parents are encouraged to take their children for swimming lessons and always supervise them at the beach.”
DispatchLIVE
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