Unknown body washed up on KZN beach

Police are investigating the circumstances around an alleged drowning incident at Westbrook Beach between La Mercy and Ballito in KwaZulu-Natal.

According to IPSS Medical Rescue‘s Samantha Meyrick, the body was discovered washed ashore on the beach on Friday morning.

ALSO READ: Hennops drowning: Tragedy must serve as a lesson

“The body has been recovered and will be handed over to Tongaat Saps for further investigation,” she said.

This article will be updated with more information about the death once received.

Body recovered after ‘freak accident’ at Gqeberha Harbour

Just over 24 hours earlier, a 32-year-old Eastern Cape woman drowned at the Gqeberha harbour.

Police said the woman was working at the city’s vehicle terminal at around 03:45 on Thursday morning when tragedy struck.

“While driving a Ford Ranger Cab onto the vessel carrier (ship), witnesses alleged that the vehicle accelerated and landed into the harbour.

“The woman could not exit the vehicle which subsequently submerged and she drowned,” said police spokesperson, Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg.

ALSO READ: Two pupils drown in school excursion mishap (VIDEO)

Her body was retrieved but her name was withheld until her next of kin has been informed.

Police said they were investigating the matter.

Learning to swim

There have long been concerns about drownings in the country, especially of children during school excursions.

Earlier this month, two teenagers, one aged 13 and the other 16, drowned in the Hennops River near Pretoria. The boys were from Daveyton Skills School in Benoni and were attending a “discipline camp”.

While schools should bear some responsibility where proven negligent, Lifesaving South Africa general manager Helen Herbert told The Citizen said all children should be taught how to swim

“It’s still early in the year, so schools host outings and camps for soft-skills training, unlike over the exam period,” she said.

“The schools are ticking the correct boxes to get the pupils the soft skills they require, but they are not looking at the safety aspects in totality.”