By Obakeng
Fochville- Two children have drowned after the raft they were on capsized at a resort near Fochville, North West province.

ER24 paramedics received the distress call and immediately responded to the nearby resort, fearing the worst. Once on scene, paramedics discovered that seven children, between the ages of 15 and 17, had been rafting when their vessel capsized. One of the children managed to swim to the shore before paramedics’ arrival.

“One of the ER24 paramedics, along with a paramedic from provincial services, immediately jumped into action, shouting to his partner to request backup before diving into the frigid water. After swimming out to the struggling children, he immediately grabbed on to four of the struggling children, assisting them slowly back to shore” Er24 spokesperson Russel Meiring said.

Once on shore, ER24 paramedics immediately began their assessment and treatment of the shivering children.

ER24 paramedics immediately began their search for the remaining two.

“After some time, emergency services found the young boy and girl near the banks with no signs of life. They were later declared dead” He said.

The four children that were rescued were treated for mild hypothermia before they were transported to a nearby hospital for further treatment. The paramedic that rescued the children from the water did not suffer any injuries.

When asked why he just jumped into the water, he later said, “I did not even think about it, I just took my flight suit off and dived in. The children needed my help. As soon as I felt the water, I was shocked as to how cold it was.”

Local authorities were on scene for further investigations and counsellors were called in to assist the fellow learners and teachers.-TDN
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