Boy, 7, drowns in public swimming pool in KZN

A 7-year-old boy has died after drowning in a public swimming pool in Tongaat, north of Durban on Saturday afternoon, emergency services say.

Netcare 911 spokesperson Shawn Herbst said they responded to reports of the drowning after 15:00.

“Reports from the scene indicate that lifeguards found a 7-year-old male submerged in the swimming pool.

“Lifeguards pulled the child out of the water and found him unresponsive and not breathing,” said Herbst.

CPR was initiated and paramedics who arrived on the scene started a full advanced life support resuscitation.

“Sadly, the patient’s condition rapidly deteriorated and he was declared dead on the scene,” said Herbst.

Last month, an 11-year-old boy drowned while swimming with friends at La Mercy Lagoon in Durban.

The boy had initially gone missing in the lagoon while swimming with a group of friends aged between 9 and 12.

In August, a 6-year-old boy drowned in a Msunduzi river.

News24 previously reported that local community members had managed to pull the boy out of the river, however, paramedics were unable to resuscitate him.

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