Pools, beaches and picnic sites closed as crowds head out on Boxing Day
As temperatures soared across the city today, access to public pools and beaches had to be cut off with queues of people still waiting to get inside.
With the mercury rising to more than 30 degrees well before noon today, the Sea Point Pavilion pools had been closed due to them having reached maximum capacity, as had Boulders Beach, Newlands Forest picnic site and Silvermine Gate 1 at the dam. There were also reports of overcrowding and rowdy crowds at Mnandi swimming pool, but at the time of publication, City media manager Luthando Tyhalibongo said crowds had been brought under control and that both SAPS and law enforcement were on site.
Nicola Jowell, the councillor for Ward 54 - which includes Sea Point - confirmed via a Facebook post, that the pool had reached capacity, adding that queues had started by 9pm yesterday already.
SANParks confirmed that by 9am the beach area at Boulders Penguin Colony had had to be closed, by 9.55am Oudekraal picnic site had reached capacity, and by 11am Silvermine had been closed.
“Visitors will be allowed to enter once sufficient space allocation is available,” they said.
Meanwhile the City has called on beachgoers to stay safe, keep track of their children - and not to drink at the beach. They have implemented the Identikidz project to ensure any children who get lost, can be reunited with their families.
Co-ordinated by the City’s Community, Arts and Culture Development Department, Identikidz tagged 10 756 children across 15 beaches.
Strand beach was the busiest with 1 789 children tagged, followed by Mnandi with 1 501 children tagged and Muizenberg with 1 093 children tagged.
The City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, councillor Patricia van der Ross said parents should make use of these services.
“The beaches will be much busier in the next few weeks with predicted temperature increases. As soon as you get to the beach, find the Identikidz registration desks and get your little ones tagged,” she said.
Staff at the Identikidz registration desks will, with permission of parents or caretakers, register children and issue them with an identification wrist band. Contact details are confidential and only used when the child is lost.
Alcohol consumption on beaches remained a major headache, she added.
“Alcohol remains illegal on our beaches. Our lifeguards are there to ensure bathers are safe, but often find they have to deal with intoxicated people in and out of the water. This puts everyone at risk as lifeguards have their attention diverted and drunk parents tend not to keep an eye on their children,” she said.
The City would like to remind the public of four golden rules to be cognisant of when in and around water.
- Always swim at a beach with lifeguards on duty, and between their red and yellow flags.
- Do not leave children unsupervised in or around water.
- Do not swim under the influence of alcohol.
- Beware of rip currents. If you're caught in a current, try to stay calm and signal for help.