Tragic recovery: Body of seven-year-old boy found at Mdumbi Beach
A 13-year-old girl was hospitalised after a near drowning incident at Mdumbi Beach in the Eastern Cape.
Image: Supplied
The body of a seven-year-old boy who went missing while swimming with three other children on a family outing at Mdumbi Beach in the Eastern Cape last Sunday has been recovered.
The boy was swimming with three girls, aged eight, and two aged 13, when they got into difficulty just before 1pm.
National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) spokesperson Craig Lambinon said the children appeared to have been caught in rip currents while swimming during the outgoing tide.
“Mdumbi Backpackers volunteers, who were surfing in the area at the time, noticed a group of children in distress in the surf zone and they rescued three females using their surfboards,” he said.
Lambinon said one of the older girls was medically treated on the beach for non-fatal drowning symptoms and, in a serious but stable condition, she was transported to hospital and was in recovery, while the other two girls were not injured.
However, Lambinon stated that the boy was still missing.
A multidisciplinary search was conducted by Police K9 Search and Rescue, Water Policing and Diving Services, local police, Mdumbi Backpackers volunteers (local surfers), and NSRI Mdumbi/Nyandeni Municipal lifeguards.
“Lifeguards conducted free dive search efforts, while sea and shoreline search operations continued,” he said.
Despite the extensive sea and shoreline search, efforts were unsuccessful, he said.
Lambinon mentioned that on Tuesday night, local fishermen found the body in the vicinity of where the child went missing.
He stated that the child’s family, police, and government health forensic pathology services were at the scene where his body was located and recovered.
He said the body was taken into the care of forensic services and the police, who opened an inquest docket.
“Condolences are conveyed to family and friends of the deceased child… Our thoughts, care, and compassion are with the family and everyone involved,” he said, adding that the family is supported by the community, police, and the forensic services.
The NSRI commended the fishermen for locating the body and raising the alarm.
“NSRI/Nyandeni Municipal lifeguards, local community members, volunteers, and police are commended for the extensive efforts deployed in the search after the child went missing in the surf on Sunday.”
karen.singh@inl.co.za