A 10-year-old girl from Stellenbosch died a tragic death when she drowned at Strand Beach on New Year’s Day (Saturday 1 January).
According to a police report, the deceased has been identified as Jayden Andrews. She was swimming at the beach with two siblings and her father on the fateful morning, when she disappeared in the surf after experiencing difficulty in the water.
“Her body was later located and recovered by sea rescue duty crew,” read the report.
Alan Meiklejohn, NSRI Gordon’s Bay station commander, said duty crew were activated at 07:25 following the deployment of the City of Cape Town’s water rescue network after Law Enforcement officers reported the child missing in the surf. The sea rescue craft Zelda waslaunched and NSRI rescue swimmers, Disaster Risk Management officers, police, Strand Surf lifesavers, Western Cape Government Health EMS, the City’s Fire and Rescue Services, GB Med Rescue and ER24 paramedics aided a search initiated on the scene.
“On arrival on the scene, the sea rescue craft searched in the direction of sea currents, when a resident in a block of flats opposite Strand Beach reported sighting the girl in the water a distance away from where she had reportedly originally been swimming. The sea rescue craft was nearing that area at the time and NSRI crew spotted the girl lifeless in the water,” said Meijklejohn.
“She was recovered onto the sea rescue craft and brought to paramedics on the shore where sadly she was declared deceased.”
