Cape Town - Despite rescuers’ best efforts and 40 minutes of CPR, they were not able to save eight-year-old Amira Kloupas who drowned at the Great Brak River on New Year’s Day.
The Mossel Bay municipality said a distress call was received by emergency services at 4:45pm on 1 January after bathers found Amira’s body near the Great Brak River mouth.
“Life savers are not deployed at the Great Brak River mouth, but at the adjacent Suiderkruis beach, which is the area demarcated as safe for bathing,” the municipality said.
“Life savers immediately proceeded with CPR and were soon joined by emergency services who arrived at the scene.
“CPR was conducted for 40 minutes, but Amira could not be revived. She was declared dead at the scene by Metro EMS.”
The municipality expressed its sympathies to Amira’s family.
Mossel Bay has 25 beaches and in season, the municipality deploys 95 life savers to do duty from 1 December.
“The municipality hosts a season monitoring meeting on a daily basis during the peak holiday season involving all role-players involved in offering services to the community during the busy holiday season.
“At these meetings, water safety is given specific attention.
“Specific mention is regularly made to remind members of the public to swim in safe areas demarcated by life savers, to swim when life savers are on duty and to not leave children unsupervised near water.
“These reminders are broadcast to the public.”
Meanwhile Lifesaving South Africa (LSA) praised the efforts of the large numbers of its volunteer lifeguards who performed duties over the busy New Year weekend.
Drownings at some beaches not patrolled by the LSA volunteers include a 14-year-old who drowned in the eMvoti River in KZN and three young girls who drowned at Kenton on Sea in the Eastern Cape.
Cape Times