Teenager drowns in Bushmans River

A 14-year-old boy drowned at Bushmans River Mouth yesterday while swimming with friends. NSRI Port Alfred duty coxswain Jean-Pierre du Plessis said the police had called them just before 1.30pm after the boy went missing.

Crew from NSRI Port Alfred and its satellite station at Kenton-on-Sea responded deploying rescue swimmers and the NSRI rescue craft JetRIB, Spirit of Kenton. Gardmed ambulance services were put on standby.

When they arrived, the NSRI crew joined the police in a shoreline search while the NSRI rescue craft searched on the river in the area where his friends said he’d last been seen, taking into account the direction of currents during an incoming spring high tide.

The child had been swimming in the river with friends when he disappeared under water.

The crew onboard the NSRI rescue craft investigated what appeared to be a body under water.

“An NSRI rescue swimmer was deployed into the water and the body of the teenager was located and recovered onto the NSRI rescue craft and brought to Gardmed paramedics. Sadly the teenager was declared deceased,” said spokesperson Craig Lambinon.

His body was taken into the care of Police and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services and police had opened an Inquest docket, Lambinon said.