Dangerous tide warning for New Year's Day

No drownings were reported at beaches along the Wild Coast on Christmas Day but the NSRI has warned that the new moon would bring dangerous tides and strong rips.

NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said: “We are pleading: obey the instructions of lifeguards such as swimming between the lifeguard flags.”

He made a special appeal to the public to not fire flares or shine laser beams other than in an emergency as this wasted “a hundred hours of sea rescue volunteers’ time”.

“Laser beams have previously been a huge danger to helicopters crews when they are directed at aircraft. Laser beams have been shone at sea rescue vessels engaged in a search. This completely disrupted the search, endangering lives.”

OR Tambo district municipality spokesperson Zimkhita Macingwane said everything had gone smoothly at all the beaches in Port St Johns and Ingquza Hill municipalities.

Two okapi knives had been confiscated at Hole in the Wall and Ocean View beaches under KSD municipality.

“Everything is still quiet,” she said.

In Mbizana, mayor Daniswa Mafumbatha said no reports of drownings had been received.

“Most people spent their Christmas at home with their families. However, we are expecting the number of people who go to our beaches to pick up as we approach December 31 and New Year’s Day.”

Mbhashe municipal spokesperson Ncebakazi Kolwane said a case of unlawful possession of a firearm had been opened with the SAPS after a person was found at the beach in possession of an illegal gun.

Before Christmas, Macingwane said the district authority had allocated R1.5m to put in place lifeguards and beach patrols. Forty lifeguards had also been contracted until November 2020.

The Dispatch reported at the weekend that two people had drowned on December 16 in Coffee Bay and Hole in the Wall where lifeguards were on strike demanding full-time employment.

• A 23-year-old Komani woman drowned while swimming at Nahoon Beach on Monday, taking the tally of those who had drowned or died on BCM beaches to 11 since the beginning of September.