Netcare 911 responded to three separate drowning incidents in the Gauteng area on Sunday.
Netcare 911 spokesperson Nick Dollman said the first incident took place in Danville, Pretoria, where a nine month-old baby nearly drowned at home early on Sunday morning.
The parents rushed the baby to hospital before paramedics arrived.
In the second incident in Dowerglen, Edenvale, a two-and-a -half year old child nearly drowned in the swimming pool.
”[The] child was in the swimming pool in a floatation device with her older brother when she toppled over and was floating face down in the water.
”The brother called the mother who rescued the child from the water.”
The child apparently had no pulse and was not breathing.
The mother initiated mouth-to-mouth ventilation and CPR until the child started to breath again.
The child was taken to the Netcare Garden City Clinic by helicopter ambulance.
”We are all hoping for a positive outcome for this incident and it once again it highlights how important a CPR course is and if the skills are applied correctly and timeously they may save a life.”
Dollman said the third incident took place on late on Sunday afternoon at the Roodekoppies dam in Pretoria North.
A seven-year-old boy was apparently walking with his brother when he accidentally fell into the dam and did not resurface.
”His brother then called the rest of the family who got into the water to search for him and his body was located after approximately 15 minutes.”
The family and paramedics who arrived at the dam tried to restart the boy’s heart but he died on the scene.
”Netcare 911 has attended to 30 drowning [or] near-drowning incidents in Gauteng since the beginning of spring 2007 at an average of nearly three per week,” said Dollman.
”Once again we urge the public to be vigilant and to keep a watchful eye on children and to take the necessary safety precautions to prevent these tragedies.” – Sapa