Lifesaving South Africa
South Africa has experienced a troubling rise in drownings over the holiday season, with cases doubling between November and early January.
Lifesaving South Africa reports that 21 fatal drownings were recorded in November, increasing to 42 by the first week of January.
KwaZulu-Natal accounted for over 20 incidents, while the Eastern Cape reported eight cases, including one fatality confirmed by Buffalo City Metro.
The spike in incidents coincided with hot weather and the end of the academic calendar for schools and universities. "During December 2024 to the first week of January 2025, the number of drownings doubled to 42, which consisted of 34 fatal cases and 8 non-fatal," Lifesaving SA said in a statement.
The association emphasized that the situation could have been far worse without the intervention of professional lifeguards. "Proactive lifeguards executed several hundreds of help-outs and quite serious rescues," the statement read.
With a week remaining before schools and academic institutions reopen for 2025, authorities are urging the public to take extra precautions.
Contributing factors include a lack of swimming skills in many communities, alcohol consumption on beaches, and the dangers of unsupervised swimming, particularly among children.
Ignorance about rip tides remains a significant concern, while remote rivers and dams without lifeguards pose additional risks.
Parents are encouraged to supervise their children at all times, while beachgoers are reminded to swim only in designated areas with lifeguards on duty.
*Lifesaving South Africa has indicated that reports of rescues are still coming and are being validated.*
