Allexer Namundjembo
A family day at the beach ended in tragedy on Sunday when one 12-year-old girl drowned at Platz am Meer beach in Swakopmund. Another 12-year-old girl nearly drowned and is recovering in hospital.
Erongo regional police said the incident happened between 13h00 and 14h00 on Sunday.
The police report for the weekend stated that the family had travelled from Walvis Bay to spend the day at the coast.
“Preliminary information indicates that the two girls were in the company of their parents around the mall area before they proceeded to the beach. They were reportedly playing in the water when they got into difficulty and drowned,” the report reads.
Emergency services from the Swakopmund municipality attended to both children.
Kayla Gases (12) was unresponsive and was declared dead upon arrival at the Swakopmund State Hospital. Her body is being kept in the hospital mortuary.
The second girl, Lizelle Ganases, also 12, survived after receiving urgent medical attention and is under medical care at the same hospital.
“Next of kin have been informed, and we extend our sincere condolences to the bereaved family and friends during this difficult time,” the police said.
The drowning comes as concerns rise over water-safety incidents across the country.
Swakopmund and Walvis Bay draw thousands of visitors during the festive season, but strong currents and limited swimming skills among children remain major risks.
On Monday, Martin Muyenga of Monarch Lifeguard and Emergency Services urged the public to swim only in areas monitored by trained lifeguards.
“Do not swim in the rough currents, as it is very dangerous,” he said, adding that supervised zones offer the safest conditions.
Water-safety advocate Sean Naude, founder of the Namibia Marshall Rangers, said the festive season brings more people to the coast, which increases the need for caution.
Naude said lifeguards have been placed at key beaches and designated swimming areas are marked with flags.
“There are allocated areas with flags that signal the presence of a lifeguard,” he said.
Naude added that both Monarch Lifeguard and the Namibia Marshall Rangers are actively supporting water-safety efforts.
He urged the public to avoid alcohol before swimming and to remain in safe, supervised areas.
He said that teaching swimming skills and ocean safety could prevent many drowning incidents.
“If we teach our children how to behave in the water, we can prevent many of these incidents,” he said.
His comments follow similar calls from private emergency service providers who previously said they were ready to help reduce drowning cases by teaching Namibians how to swim. This was after cases of drowning surged in northern parts of the country.
Oshana regional police commander commissioner Naftal Sakaria previously said many drownings occurred because people entered water without knowing how to swim.
