By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Three people have died, and 17 others have been injured after a freak wave at the eThekwini beach in Durban swept them out to sea on Saturday.
Paramedics treated the 17 victims before transporting them to nearby hospitals.
According KwaZulu-Natal Emergency Services spokesperson Robert Mckenzie, they responded to the incident on Saturday afternoon on the eThekwini Bay of Plenty beach where a freak wave washed people out to sea.
“Three people drowned and 17 people were treated and transported to hospital. This, after a freak wave hit bathers at the Durban beachfront,” he said.
In a brief statement on Saturday evening, eThekwini Municipality spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela confirmed that three people died, including a teenager, drowned during the incident.
“It took a team of 35 lifeguards to execute a mass rescue effort and another team of paramedics to attend to the more than 100 people who were involved in the incident. Despite the best efforts of the emergency response team, three people lost their lives, with others transported to the hospital,” Mayisela said.
“The municipality is saddened by the tragedy and sends its condolences to the families of the deceased.”