Gauteng pupils counselled after teammates drown while on tour in Durban

Pupils from Hoërskool Birchleigh in Gauteng are receiving counselling after classmates in grades 10 and 12 drowned in Durban during a rugby tour.

The school had been scheduled to play against Rand Park High School in a tournament on Monday. The game was cancelled.

TimesLIVE attended the tournament on Monday but no-one was willing to speak about the incident. One of the tournament organisers said he had been by the school governing body not to comment.

The bodies of the pupils, aged 17 and 18, were found by police on Monday after they went missing while swimming at Luguna Beach the day before.

In a statement, Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said a psychosocial unit was sent to counsel the teammates of the rugby squad who had travelled to Durban to compete in the Durban North College rugby festival.

“It’s disheartening that a positive sporting school trip that our learners passionately participated in ended in such a tragic manner. We convey our most heartfelt condolences to the two affected families and the school community at large,” Lesufi said.

According to the department the school contingent arrived in Durban on March 24 and were scheduled to return on March 31.

“On Sunday morning, the pupils and several teachers went swimming at Durban North beach, where some pupils got into difficulties and were helped to shore by lifeguards. After a headcount it was realised that two pupils were missing.

The teachers searched for the missing pupils  until the evening,  after which they opened a missing persons case at Durban Central Police Station.

On Monday police divers from Durban SAPS search and rescue, together with metro police, recovered the two bodies near Luguna and Durban Country Club beaches.

The identity of the boys has not been disclosed.

Police are investigating.

TimesLIVE