Teenage boy from Goodwood drowns at Glenelg beach

A 15-YEAR-OLD boy from has drowned in a birthday party tragedy, the second such incident in eight days at a popular beach.

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A 15-YEAR-OLD boy has drowned in a birthday party tragedy at Glenelg Beach.

The lifeless body of the Goodwood teen was spotted by beachgoers in calm waters underneath the jetty — where he had been seen jumping off earlier in the afternoon.

Despite the frantic efforts of paramedics to resuscitate the boy, he died at the scene about 4.30pm.

The tragedy comes just over a week after Indian student Nitisha Negi, 15, drowned after a mishap at Glenelg’s breakwater.

The Advertiser was told Monday’s victim was from Burundi, the same east African nation as two young boys who drowned at Glenelg on New Year’s Day in 2016.

Horrifying scenes at Glenelg beach, a teenage boy pulled from the water unresponsive just before 5.30pm @theTiser pic.twitter.com/KQQ2BmOebr

— Ben Harvy (@Benharvy) December 18, 2017

A person familiar with the family said the boy was at the beach with his family for a birthday party.

The boy’s devastated mother could be heard crying hysterically from Glenelg Surf Lifesaving Club.

A large crowd of people were at Glenelg to combat the strong heat on Monday afternoon when the teenager disappeared.

By 7pm the body had been removed from the beach.

Max, 16, said the boy had been jumping off Glenelg jetty earlier in the afternoon.

“I was about to jump off the jetty and people were screaming there was a body in the water,” he told The Advertiser.

“I jumped off the jetty into the water and just swam around to him and just dived down for him.

Police and paramedics at Glenelg beach. Picture: AAP / Russell Millard

“He was laying face down and I just had to grab him, I just had to pull him straight to the beach and others helped me.”

George, 15, instructed Max to check the boy’s pulse while 16-year-old Zack ran for help.

Others told The Advertiser the boy had been missing from the beach for a significant time.

It is the fourth drowning at Glenelg in two years.

At 6pm on Janaury 1, 2016, Frank Ndikuriyo and Thierry Niyomwungere, both 11 years old, were among five children who got into difficulty north of the Glenelg jetty.

Close friends Frank Ndikuriyo and Thierry Niyomwungere drowned at Glenelg on a New Year’s Day, 2016.

Lifesavers pulled three of the boys from the surf but the two boys remained missing.

One boy was found at the northern end of the breakwater while the other was found 100m down the beach by a member of the public.

Despite desperate efforts to save both boys, who were from the northern suburbs but born in Africa, they passed away on the beach.

Police, paramedics and surf lifesavers at Glenelg beach after a teenager drowned. Picture: AAP / Ben Macmahon

A funeral service for both boys, on January 11, drew 700 mourners.

The notorious breakwater claimed another life only last week when a teenage Indian student died at Glenelg in similar circumstances.

Nitisha Negi, 15, from Delhi, drowned at the Glenelg breakwater on December 10 after slipping into the water. Picture supplied by family

Nitisha Negi went missing on the Sunday night with three other teenagers and a 12-year-old. While they were rescued by surf lifesavers, Nitisha wasn’t found until the next morning.

She was enjoying some down time after participating in the Pacific School Games and was planning to fly back to India after the break.

Her death and the serious injuries to her teammates, some of whom remained in hospital for days, prompted the City of Holdfast Bay and the State Government to restrict access to the breakwater after previously increasing signage.