UPDATE: Close call as teen escapes drowning

A seventeen-year-old holidaymaker from Newcastle suffered a near drowning in the Karridene River on Monday afternoon, 5 January.

 
The boy was swimming with some friends at about 1.30pm when he got into difficulty and went under the water.

 
“Lifeguards situated on the beach behind the Karridene Hotel responded and pulled him to the side,” said Netcare 911 inland media liaison, Chris Botha, who was the first responder.

 
“He had an enormous amount of water in his lungs and suffered near drowning symptoms.”

 
Paramedics had to use the lifeguards’ 4×4 vehicle to transport the teen to the closest access point for an ambulance to move him to Prince Mshiyeni Hospital