A boy of nine drowned in the Kleinmond lagoon earlier this month. He is not the first child to do so.
Every year since 2018, except for 2025, at least one child has drowned there during the October/November period, almost always in the same section of the lagoon. Once again, questions are being raised about the causes of this recurring tragedy and how to prevent it.
According to Schalk Boonzaaier, commander of NSRI Station 42 in Kleinmond, the cause is known, but the solution is multi-faceted and complex.
Statistically, there have been more child drownings in the main Kleinmond lagoon than in any other similar location in the Overstrand, other than Palmiet River – also in Kleinmond. The problem is the many large rocks embedded in the lagoon floor. When the mouth opens to the sea during the winter months, the water level is low enough for the rocks to be clearly visible, but as soon as the mouth closes up – about this time each year – the level rises, and the rocks are hidden in the inky dark water.
A member of the local NSRI team recently mapped the positions of the various rocks, confirming the location of the potentially most dangerous. Deep trenches have been scoured in the sand around each rock, some reaching more than 1,5m below the surface. A child playing in a group might lose his/her footing, fall into a hole, and suddenly find the water is over his/her head.
“Remember,” says Boonzaaier, “drowning is silent. The victim cannot call for help, and other group members don’t notice his absence until it’s too late. And neither do the parents or guardians of the child, who may be chatting together or on their phones on the beach.” As a priority, parents and children need ongoing education.
Each November for several years, the NSRI has laid a line of 20 pink buoys across the lagoon, separating the shallow water from the deeper, more dangerous sections; every year, sometimes within three days, they are stolen. Between November and mid-January last year, the NSRI replaced the entire line twice.
Boonzaaier points out that the NSRI has installed 70 buoys at strategic positions along the coast between Kleinmond and Rooiels, and these have saved many lives, but at the Kleinmond lagoon, if they keep being stolen, they are less than effective.
The NSRI Emergency Centre in Cape Town monitors a security camera day and night, but it currently focuses exclusively on the beach. In future, the plan is to train it on the lagoon at night. Large posters are also being placed at seven key positions around the lagoon warning adults to keep their children in sight at all times.
The NSRI also plans to realign the string of buoys to prevent access to those areas identified as particularly dangerous. To boost community involvement, the NSRI is seeking donations for 20 to 30 additional buoys to expand its project outreach.
To contribute – NSRI banking details: Account Name: Fundraising Account; ABSA Account No: 1382480607; Branch No: 632005; Ref: St42buoy+cell number. For further information, phone NSRI Kleinmond at 063 699 2765.
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