Easter holiday ends in tragedy for teen after drowning in public pool

Friends of a Gauteng teenager who drowned at a municipalswimming poolsay they are the ones who pulled him out of the water and performedCPRon him as lifeguards were speaking on their phones at the time the tragedy occurred. Tshwarelo Likana from Lethabong in Sebokeng, Vaal, allegedly hit his head on the pavement before drowning atSharpevilleswimming pool on Saturday. Despite that paramedics were called to the scene, the grade 10 pupil from Moshate Secondary School did not make it.

On the day of the incident, Tshwarelo, 15, and his friends decided to go for a swim to cool off after playing football. The group had just participated in their church’s national sports day, organised by the Twelve Apostles Church in Christ, and they paid R20 to enter the pool. His friend, Reamogetsoe Pheku, said they had been at the pool for less than 10 minutes when their friend drowned.

“The water was deep, and we even warned one another to be careful. When we got there we were not given the rules [how they should conduct themselves].” He said after a few minutes, he asked where Tshwarelo was and started looking for him. “We didn’t see him, and I asked where he was because I thought I saw someone drowning.

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“When we went to the water, we couldn’t get to the bottom and shouted for the lifeguard. We [Tshwarelo’s friends] then managed to pull him out and perform CPR.” Pheku and another friend claimed that the lifeguards were speaking on their phones when Tshwarelo was drowning. “We called for them to come and assist but we are the ones who pulled him out of the water.

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