TVRA petitions City over beach safety

The Table View Ratepayers’ Association (TVRA) plans to petition the City of  Cape Town to provide more lifeguards and medical safety equipment over the festive period. This comes after at least two people drowned in beaches along Table View’s coastline and the bodies of two others are yet to be recovered.

While many were celebrating the new year, last Tuesday lifeguards and paramedics had their hands full dealing with several drownings and rescues.

At 2.42pm a man, 30, was rescued from Table View Beach by a bystander. On arrival on the scene lifeguards and paramedics initiated CPR on the man who is believed to have been caught in rip currents, said National Sea Rescue South Africa (NSRI) spokesman Craig Lambinon.

“Paramedics continued with advanced life support intervention but sadly after all efforts at CPR were exhausted, he was declared dead by paramedics. Police have opened an inquest docket and the body of the deceased man has been taken into the care of the Forensic Pathology Services. Condolences are conveyed to family,” said Mr Lambinon. 

Later the same day, at 4.45pm, another man was retrieved  from the water at Small Bay in Blouberg. They were unable to resuscitate him. “Police have opened an inquest docket and the body of the deceased man has been taken into the care of the Forensic Pathology Services” said Mr Lambinon.

TRVA chairwoman Mandy Da Matta who was on the scene at the time said the residents of Pellegrini Street opened their “homes and hearts” to those involved in the rescue. 

“The assistance given to emergency services was nothing short of phenomenal, refreshments were provided to all EMS personal and space was made available for counseling in their homes,” she said. 

There were also a near-drowning on the same day at Table View Beach. The first incident involved a man and a woman being swept out to sea by rip currents.

“It appears that a woman got into difficulty in rip currents in the surf and a man went to assist, but he got into difficulty. Another man went to help and was able to reach the woman and they got out of the water. 

“On arrival on the scene it was found that German tourist Igor Obu had used an NSRI pink rescue buoy at Table View Beach to rescue a 34-year-old man from the water and it is believed this man was the man who had first gone to try to help the woman,” said Mr Lambinon.

Meanwhile the search continues for a Johannesburg man swept out to sea by rip currents at Table View Beach. He had been swimming with two friends who had both been able to get out of the surf, said Mr Lambinon. 

“An extensive sea and shoreline search revealed no sign of the man, 23, from Duduza, Johannesburg, who is on holiday visiting friends in Cape Town. Police divers assisted by City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services divers and NSRI Melkbosstrand are continuing in an ongoing search operation,” said Mr Lambinon.

Also an extensive air, sea and shoreline search for a Parow teenager who disappeared in the water at Dolphin Beach in December has yielded no results.
 
The boy, 14, was last seen swimming with a friend when a wave washed over them and he failed to resurface.

Ms Da Matta said people had to consider the dangerous rip currents along the beachfront and that no lifeguards are stationed between Big Bay and Dolphin Beach. 

“The Table View Ratepayers’ Association is appealing to the greater Table View community to support us in petitioning the City of Cape Town to provide medical safety equipment and rescue buoys, positioned every 300 metres along our beachfront, from Big Bay to Dolphin Beach and more boards displaying the relevant emergency contact numbers,” said Ms Da Matta. 

You can do so by emailing your comment to chairman@tableviewratepayers.org.za