eThekwini lifeguards warn drinking & swimming biggest risk
Lifeguards in
eThekwini have singled out swimming and drinking as one of their biggest
challenges during the festive season.
They say intoxicated beachgoers have become a recurring problem over the holidays.
Senior lifeguard Sihle Xaba's advised holidaymakers not to enter the water while intoxicated, as they are likely to endanger themselves and others.
He also urged bathers to immediately alert lifeguards if someone is in distress.
"Alcohol and swimming do not mix, that is one thing that we are challenged with every single year. Do not swim fully clothed. Your clothes are already heavy because of the water. So if you are trying to swim, the clothes will drag you underneath and you will battle with the currents."
Last week alone, officials reported over five drowning incidents in KZN, with the youngest victim believed to be about 9-years-old.
A teenage boy also drowned at a Richards Bay beach on Saturday, while a Limpopo man remains missing, after presumably drowning at Eastmoor Crescent in Umhlanga.
More on ECR
