Bathers sustained injuries on City beach

By Anele Siwa
6 January 2008

Bathers on Muizenberg Beach on Wednesday complained to beach authorities of small laceration wounds on their feet, caused by uncertain and un-identified means.

The National Sea Rescue Institute’s (NSRI) Craig Lambinon says three beach-goers were taken to hospital.

Lambinon says the local shark spotter, from the working on sharks’ project, treated the minor injuries on the scene.

“Later, further bathers came out of the water complaining of a similar incidence,” says Lambinon.

According Lambinon a total of 6 bathers were treated for similar injuries during the afternoon.

“In all cases no physical bite or sting had been felt by bathers and the small puncture wounds were examined by paramedics and well known Wildlife Conservation expert Chris Fallows, who had been called to the scene to investigate,” says Lambinon.

Lambinon says the injuries can be described as slight lacerations or puncture wounds and in all cases were relatively shallow.

According to Chris Fallows the wounds are most likely to have been caused by broken muscle shells which are often blown into the cove at Muizenberg’s Surfers Corner by South Easterly winds.

For the past two days strong South Easterly winds have prevailed.

According to Lambinon one injured bather admitted that he had been standing on a broken muscle shell.

As a safety measure the City of Cape Town’s Environmental Affairs office has requested the shark spotters to use their normal means of warning the public to preferably not bathe at the beach.

To achieve this, the shark warning flag was raised and lifeguards, law enforcement officials and the shark spotter warned bathers at Muizenberg beach to preferably not swim at the beach.

Meanwhile Lambinon says the beach is open to public, but they are monitoring the situation.