Cape Town - The body of a seven-year-old girl who disappeared underwater while swimming with her sister in the Palmiet river on Sunday in Kleinmond has been found.
Just before 4pm, crew members of the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), SAPS and emergency medical services (EMS) from the Western Cape Department of Health responded to a drowning in progress.
According to the Kleinmond NSRI station commander, Schalk Boonzaaier, two rescue crafts and 11 NSRI rescue swimmers entered into the water to conduct a free dive sweeping line search for the young girl.
“Her 10-year-old sister had managed to get out of the water and she was attended to by EMS paramedics and transported to the hospital by EMS ambulance in a stable condition,” Boonzaaier said.
The search continued for the seven-year-old girl and resumed again on Monday.
“NSRI rescue swimmers conducted sweeping line walk method search patterns, in waist-deep water, the search close to the river mouth was a joint effort to focus on the search areas identified by police divers.
“The tides, river currents, and sea currents played a crucial role in this joint effort, with growing fears that the child may be swept out of the river mouth and lost at sea,” Boonzaaier said.
On Monday evening the body of the girl was located and recovered near the Palmier river mouth.
“The body of the child has been taken into the care of police and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services,” Boonzaaier confirmed.
Police have opened an inquest docket.
“We commend the close working relationship between emergency services, police, and NSRI that has assisted the family of the child in this difficult time,” Boonzaaier added.
The NSRI conveyed their condolences to the family of the young girl.
Rescuers are still searching for a 17-year-old boy who went missing at the Kleinmond main beach.
robin.francke@inl.co.za
IOL