Learn to swim

fuad Esack|Published 3 years ago

Mason Kearns, left, and Luke Leeson, were among the youngsters who attended the Warobile Lifesaving Aquatics Academy's learn-to-swim open day. At the back row, from left, Mervyn Coetzee, Keith Abrahams, Alistair Southgate and Melissa Leeson.

Warobile Lifesaving Aquatics Academy hosted a learn-to-swim open day, at Holy Cross High School, in Maitland, on Saturday.

The organisation was established in 2013, following the deaths of two 16-year-old teenagers from Zeerust in the North West Province, who had drowned at Camps Bay while on holiday.

Waroona Senosi and Qarabile Motswire were learners from Dithupe Intermediate School enjoying a day on the beach with their peers when they were suddenly caught in a rip tide.

They would never be seen again and their bodies were never recovered. This tragedy had a tremendous impact on many people including one of the City’s then top Law Enforcement officials, Inspector Keith Abrahams; a veteran lifeguard trainer and water-safety expert with 30 years’ experience.

In honour of the two boys, Abrahams started an NPO to address the drownings in the Western Cape. The names of the deceased pupils, Waroona and Qarabile were combined to form “WAROBILE”, a Learn-to-Swim and Lifeguard Training Academy based at Holy Cross High School.