Young woman drowns at Scottburgh beach as rough seas hit KZN

A day at the beach turned tragic after a 21-year-old woman lost her life in a drowning incident at Scottburgh on KwaZulu-Natal’s South Coast.

Emergency services were called to Scottburgh Main Beach on Sunday after reports of a person in distress in the water.

Rescue efforts unsuccessful at Scottburgh beach incident

According to IPSS Medical Rescue, the woman was found floating in the water and unresponsive.

Lifeguards quickly pulled her from the surf and, together with members of the public, began CPR while waiting for paramedics to arrive.

Advanced life support efforts continued for some time, but despite all attempts to revive her, she was declared dead at the scene.

Police have since opened an inquest docket, and investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident are ongoing.

Witnesses say conditions at the beach had worsened earlier in the day. One beachgoer said lifeguards had warned swimmers to leave the water as waves became rough and the tide rose.

Some people left the beach after the warnings, but others remained in the water.

Following the tragedy, the Umdoni Local Municipality temporarily banned bathing at Scottburgh beach as a precaution.

Other drownings reported

The Scottburgh tragedy was not the only drowning incident reported on Sunday.

In the Eastern Cape, a 30-year-old man from Johannesburg died after getting into difficulty in the Gonubie River near East London. He was rescued from the water, and CPR was performed, but he was later declared dead.

In a separate incident in the Western Cape, a 23-year-old man was rescued at Clifton 2nd Beach after getting into trouble while swimming. He was assisted by a surfer and stabilised on shore before being taken to hospital. He is expected to recover.

Authorities continue to urge beachgoers to take warnings seriously, especially during rough sea conditions.

Swimming in unsafe waters can quickly become life-threatening, even for experienced swimmers.