A mother and her five-year-old daughter from Amandwe in KZN, drowned on Saturday, August 27 when they were swept off the wall of a tidal pool in Park Rynie near Scottburgh.

Sthenjiwe Sibiya (47), her daughter Nothile (5) and son (12) were at Preston Beach, Parky Rynie when tragedy struck.

Scottburgh Communications Officer Captain Adam Francis says it is alleged that Sibiya decided that she and her children should rinse their feet after walking on the beach.

Her son went into the tidal pool while mother and daughter walked along the wall of the pool when a freak wave swept them off the wall and into the sea.

The son and a bystander jumped into the sea and managed to pull Sibiya out of the water. She was, however, declared dead on the scene by paramedics.

The Nothile’s body washed up at the Park Rynie campsite on Sunday, August 28.