Cape Town – A 5-year-old boy has drowned in the Beacon Island Hotel swimming pool in Plettenberg Bay on Saturday evening, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said.

The boy was declared dead shortly after he arrived at a local hospital after all efforts to resuscitate him were exhausted, NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said.

He said the boy was found by a group of children and was brought to the surface. Lambinon said thet NSRI's Plettenberg Bay duty crew went to the scene at about 18:37.

"The NSRI medical crew were on the scene in minutes, and an emergency room trauma nurse from Mediclinic – who was off-duty but at a home nearby and who is also on the NSRI emergency activation group - also responded to the scene," he said.

He said on arrival on the scene, NSRI medics and the nurse took over CPR from the bystanders, "and CPR efforts were assisted by a doctor, who was at the hotel at the time, and joined by Medlife paramedics on their arrival on the scene".  

"With CPR efforts continuing the child was transported to hospital by ambulance where doctors continued with CPR, but sadly after all efforts to resuscitate the child were exhausted the child has been declared deceased," he said.

Police have opened an inquest docket, according to Lambinon.

He said trauma counsellors attended to the family of the deceased child, "the mother, believed to be an employee of the hotel, and her daughter, who was at the pool at the time".