Police divers are searching for the body of a 11-year-old Archie Mbolekwa Primary School pupil who is feared to have drowned at the Kenton-On-Sea Main beach today 07 November.
Police divers are searching for the body of a 11-year-old Archie Mbolekwa Primary School pupil who is feared to have drowned at the Kenton-On-Sea Main beach today 07 November.
The learners from the Grahamstown school had gone to a school outing to Kenton-On-Sea today, when the incident happened.
Archie Mbolekwa Primary School Principal Zola Motlabane told Grocott's Mail that he did not go to the outing due to other commitments which he had communicated to the school. By 5pm on Friday 07 November Motlabane said he had not heard anything about the incident.
"I am not at the outing. I have not heard anything now because I could not go to the outing," he said.
Motlabane said the learners had gone to the outing with teacher Mr Rwanqa.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Luvuyo Mjekula said police were still looking for an 11-year-old pupil who is suspected to have drowned at Kariega beach, Kenton-On-Sea.
Mjekula said according to witnesses the pupil was swimming at Kariega beach when the incident happened.
"It appears that the child was swept away by a rip current," he said. Another child according to police was rescued and resuscitated by a by-stander at the scene. She was rushed to Port Alfred hospital for further treatment.
Mjekula said police would open an inquest docket once the body has been found.
Sea Rescue Communications officer Craig Lambinon in a statement said: "NSRI Port Alfred duty crew, EC Government Health EMS and the SA Police Services, Traffic Services and Nature Conservation officers responded to a call at 12.03pm on Friday 07 November.
Lambinon said NSRI Port Alfred volunteer sea rescue duty crew were activated following reports of a drowning in progress in Kenton-On-Sea at Kenton Main Beach, alongside the Kariega River Mouth.
"On arrival on the scene it was found that a female learner, aged 11, had gotten into difficulty in rip currents and a fellow male learner, aged 11, had reportedly gone into the surf to try to assist her," he said.
Lambinon said unidentified bystanders had then assisted the female learner from the water but the male learner was missing in the surf.
In the statement he said the 11-year-old girl was treated by EMS paramedics and she has been transported to hospital by EMS ambulance in a serious but stable condition for further treatment and for observation for secondary drowning symptoms.
"Despite an extensive search no sign of the missing 11-year-old boy has been found, police and a police dive unit has taken over the search operation," Lambinon said.
He said it appears that a group of children which NSRI estimates to be at least 60 pupils to have been on the beach from the Grahamstown School, Archie Mbolekwa, were accompanied by teachers.
"Some children were swimming when the girl got into difficulty suspected to be from rip currents and the missing boy had reportedly gone into the surf to try to assist before disappearing," Lambinon said.
