A 7 year old boy had nearly drowned today at a river in Worcester.
A group of children had decided to cool off in the river near to the informal settlement of Zwelemtmba were they live. After swimming in the allegedly shallow waters, one of the 7 year old boys disappeared from sight.
Another boy, aged 14, had witnessed the 7 year old struggle before disappearing from sight. He rushed to the boy’s aid and quickly pulled him to shore. According to witnesses the boy was not breathing at the time. The 14 year old immediately administered CPR on the boy.
When ER24 paramedics arrived at the scene the 7 year old was fully conscious, but was still coughing up large quantities of water. Paramedics treated the boy at the scene before transporting him to a nearby medical facility for further medical care.
Paramedics commended the quick thinking and heroic effort of the older boy who without a doubt saved the life of his junior.
With temperatures on the rise and more and more individuals making their way to bodies of water to cool down, ER24 would like to advice all individuals to exercise caution when entering the oceans, rivers and swimming pools around Cape Town.
Andre Visser, ER24