Children saved from drowning near Bay Hall
Two young children saved in Bay Hall 'hidden danger' near drowning incident
PROMPT action from female bystanders saved the lives of two young children who had disappeared under the water while wading in the Bay Hall area on Saturday afternoon.
Siya Mtondo (3) and Junior Khanyi (4) were part of a large group splashing close to the mouth of the blind canal when they moved beyond the notorious sudden drop ledge and were unable to stand or swim in the deeper water.
Sharp eyes on the shore saved them from death.
Bernice Cannon and her friend Cicilija Botha had arrived at the popular recreational spot about 10 minutes before the incident occurred.
Bernice had gone to the bakkie to fetch cooler boxes and noticed something was wrong among the group in the water.
‘I saw the kids’ heads bobbing up and down and then they disappeared beneath the surface.
‘We ran down to help. There was another lady who pulled one child from the water while the crowd brought the other one to shore.
‘Heroine of the day was Cicilija, who with some medical training experience was able to resuscitate Junior, who had swallowed a lot of water and had stopped breathing.
‘She did chest compressions on the boy and revived him, while the little girl had spontaneously vomited water and with help soon appeared to be alright,’ said Bernice.
‘The immediate need was to get them to a hospital or ambulance and we decided the quickest would be to take them to the lifeguard house, close by at Alkantstrand, where we knew there would be medical equipment.
‘We loaded them onto the back of my bakkie and soon after we got there the ambulance crews arrived and they received professional treatment.’
Only once the children had been treated by paramedics and taken to hospital for further observation did the reality of how close the call had been sink in for a teary-eyed Cicilija, who without doubt had saved Junior’s life.
Families of the children who were on scene also appreciated their children had been protected by the mercy of God and the angels He sent to keep them alive.
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