Child drowns at Sugar Bay Holiday Camp

A nine-year-old Durban girl drowned in a swimming pool in Zinkwazi on Sunday while attending a popular local holiday camp, reports North Coast Courier.

According to IPSS Medical Rescue’s Paul Herbst, paramedics responded to a call at Sugar Bay Holiday Camp shortly after lunchtime to find the resort’s lifeguards performing CPR on the girl.

“We started advanced life support resuscitation on the little girl but unfortunately, after a prolonged attempt, there was no sign of life and she was declared dead,” he said.

Lina dos Santos, a trauma counsellor linked with the resort, told the North Coast Courier there had been lots of children in the pool leading up to the tragic drowning.

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“The kids were all having fun and before you knew it, she was under the water,” recounted Dos Santos.

Dos Santos said the pool area was immediately cleared after the drowning and all the parents were notified.

“We had multiple trauma counsellors on hand for the children and staff. So far the kids seem to be handling this horrible situation as well as can be hoped.”

The little girl’s mother and aunt were at the resort soon after she drowned, and a prayer vigil was held over her body.

Dos Santos said an autopsy would be performed on the body to establish beyond doubt the exact cause of death.

“Sugar Bay Holiday Camp has been operating for 17 years with a spotless safety record. This was truly just a terrible, freak accident,” she said.

Umhlali SAPS spokesperson captain Vinny Pillay said an investigation would be launched to determine how the little girl drowned while under the watch of safety professionals.

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