Child critical after near drowning at Ballito
Five-year-old boy rescued by his father.
A father and son were rescued from drowning near Thompson’s Bay, Ballito around 3.30pm on Sunday afternoon.
According to Quentin Power from Specialised Rescue Unit, the father and son from Pretoria were going for a walk on the beach to kick off their vacation at Santorini, when the accident happened.
“A freak wave hit them and washed the five-year-old child off the rocks,” said Power.
He said the 33-year-old father heroically dived in after his child and after a battle managed to bring his unconscious son to shore.
A young couple reportedly found them on the beach and called for help.
Netcare 911 spokesperson, Chris Botha said when paramedics arrived at the beach, the father was doing CPR on his son.
“The father, who suffered from near drowning symptoms, worked fervently doing CPR to save his child. Paramedics found that the child had started breathing spontaneously and after the patients were stabilised at the beach, medics transported them to a hospital in Ballito.”
Botha said the medical crew placed the child on a ventilator at the hospital, where he remains in a critical condition and the father is in a serious but stable condition.
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