Four drownings mar North Coast festive season

The first weekend of the new year claimed two drowning victims on North Coast beaches.

On Saturday a 30-year-old man, Mogos Sanbetu, drowned at Westbrook Beach, while a 16-year-old teen, Melokuhle Luthuli, drowned at Christmas Bay in Sheffield.

These drownings followed two drownings at Blythedale and Zinkwazi beaches at the beginning of December.

Sanbetu, an Ethiopian national running a shop in the Tongaat central business district, went to the beach with his friends and got swept under water.

His friends said the lifeguards on duty tried their best to locate and possibly save him, but could not find him.

“We were just having fun and were not even deep in the sea. We don’t understand how he drowned. We don’t know how we’re going to explain this to his family. Where we come from we cremate the dead, but that cannot be done if there’s no body. I pray his body comes out,” said one of his friends who preferred to remain anonymous.

He said Sanbetu moved to South Africa nine years ago and had been staying and working in Tongaat.

While rescue teams searched for Sanbetu’s body, they were called to Christmas Bay in Sheffield where Luthuli from Hambanathi had drowned.

His body was found by KwaDukuza lifeguards on Sunday morning during their water and beach patrols.

His uncle, Khulekani Khumalo, said after the family had gone for a picnic at the beach and before returning home, he and his wife took a walk while Melokuhle and his two siblings went for a swim.

“When we returned, we saw his younger brother trying to pull him out of the water. We thought they were playing at first, but eventually he let go and leaned against some rocks. Melokuhle went under the water. Just like that, he was gone,” said Khumalo.

Melokuhle was a Grade 10 pupil at Fairbreeze Secondary School.

KwaDukuza lifeguards superintendent Bongani Xulu said all three drownings in KwaDukuza were due to people not swimming in designated areas.

He emphasised that people should only swim where lifeguards were present.

“The Zinkwazi drowning was unfortunate as it happened very late after the lifeguards had left. Before leaving the lifeguards went to a group asking them to stop swimming because it was no longer safe.

Once the lifeguards left, the man returned to the sea and he drowned.”

Xulu said lifeguards would be working from 6am to 6pm until January 20.

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