Teach your child one emergency contact number

With the Easter weekend coming up, parents and guardians are urged to teach children at least one emergency contact number, in case they get separated from them.

During the Human Rights Day long weekend, a 12-year-old boy was separated from his family for about seven hours.

The boy and his family had been on a fishing trip for the day, between Umkomaas and Clansthal and while picking shells the youngster headed in the wrong direction and got lost.

“He walked for kilometres before he was picked up,” said CEO of Operation Bobbi Bear, Eureka Olivier.

The children’s rights organisation is based in Amanzimtoti.

We were called out to a scared, traumatised child. He did not know one phone number for me to call” she said.

Mrs Olivier also called police stations in the vicinity to ascertain whether a child had been reported missing.

He was calmed down, fed and while he played with the other children at Bobbi Bear, she made every effort to reunite him with his family.

“All the boy said was that he was from Newlands West and that he knew the name of his school. But being a public holiday (March 22), the school was closed,” said Mrs Olivier.

“At the same time 22km down the coast, a search and rescue boat was launched to look for him, police and community members frantically drove up and down searching for him, not knowing what happened to him and expecting the worst news.”

After much perseverance and hours later, he was happily reunited with his family.

Mrs Olivier urged parents to take the time today, to teach their children one phone number.

“Most children today have cellphones, gaming consoles and other electronic devices where they have to remember passwords or log in details. One telephone number is far more important in cases where your child may be lost, kidnapped or hurt,” she said.

She thanked Sea Rescue, SAPS and the community who assisted in the search.

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