A 44 year old Tongaat man, his 14 year old year old son and their dog drowned at a beach in La Mercy on Friday 29 January 2021. Fishermen who witnessed the father and son experiencing difficulty while swimming along South Beach Road contacted Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) for assistance at approximately 12:18.
Reaction Officers and Medics were dispatched to scene and on arrival found the older male lying on the surf. He was declared deceased on arrival.
The RUSA Robinson R44 Helicopter lifted from the Verulam Helipad and conducted an aerial search for the teenager. After a brief low level search, the Pilot in Command spotted the boy floating approximately 100 meters away from where he entered the surf.
Paramedics from RUSA and Netcare 911 retrieved the body of the teenager. He showed no signs of life and was declared deceased. According to a witness the father and son were swimming when they began to experience difficulty. Their dog entered the water in a rescue attempt, however it also drowned. The dog leash was still attached to the collar at the time of the drowning.
The incident was witnessed by the deceased’s 18 year old son who was also swept out but managed to grab onto the rocks and exit the water.
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