Shrewsbury charity volunteer drowns during South Africa trip
A 21-year-old charity volunteer from Shrewsbury has died whilst swimming off the coast of South Africa.
Summer Robertson died alongside Alice Barnett, 19, from Tring in Hertfordshire when they were dragged out to sea by fierce currents near Kenton-on-Sea, a small town on the south-eastern coast of South Africa.
The tragic incident happened at around 8pm on December 4 whilst the pair enjoyed a celebratory swim with three-other British members of a team that had completed a 10-week charity adventure.
Lifeguards at a nearby surfing tournament heard their desperate cries for help and managed to save three of the five swimmers. The three survivors, two males and a woman, showed signs of near drowning symptoms and were treated by the team’s medics before being transported to hospital for observation for secondary drowning.
Summer was a former student at Sundorne School and Shrewsbury Sixth Form. She had previously worked as a sales assistant for Dunelm and was said to be working for Jaguar Landrover at the time of her death.
Paying tribute today friend Beth Hemmings wrote on Twitter: “My heart goes out to Summer Robertson’s family. Really hits home how valuable life is when something so tragic happens to someone you knew.”
