Alexandra Learner Survives Jukskei River Close Call Thanks to Life-Saving Swimming Skills

When a young boy fell into the swollen Jukskei River last Tuesday, he didn’t panic but instead relied on the calm and survival techniques he had been taught at the... The post Alexandra Learner Survives Jukskei River Close Call Thanks to Life-Saving Swimming Skills appeared first on Good Things Guy.

May 11, 2026 - 10:12

Alexandra Learner Survives Jukskei River Close Call Thanks to Life-Saving Swimming Skills

When a young boy fell into the swollen Jukskei River last Tuesday, he didn’t panic but instead relied on the calm and survival techniques he had been taught at the Alexandra Youth Swim Academy to reach the river’s edge, turning a potential tragedy into an inspiring triumph.

Johannesburg, South Africa (11 May 2026) – When heavy rains swept through Johannesburg last Tuesday, a young learner from Alexandra named Lesetja Mokonyama accidentally fell into the fast-flowing waters of the Jukskei River.

With the river rising dangerously fast, the situation could easily have turned tragic. Instead, Lesetja relied on calmness, control and survival techniques taught during his weekly swimming lessons at the Alexandra Youth Swim Academy – lessons made possible through the use of King David High School’s swimming facilities and transport support.

Lesetja explained that he remembered one of the programme’s most consistently reinforced lessons: not to panic in the water. Fighting panic, he focused on steady breathing, controlled exhalation by blowing bubbles, and keeping himself afloat – all core survival skills taught as part of the academy’s structured curriculum delivered at the King David High School campus.

Using these techniques, he managed to stay afloat and make his way toward the river’s edge, where patrollers escorted him to safety.

“For a child to recall these lessons in a real emergency and apply them instinctively is extraordinary,” said Lawrence Ruele, Co‑Founder and Programme Director of the Alexandra Youth Swim Academy.

“This moment shows the real‑world impact of access to a proper pool, expert instruction and a consistent, safe learning space. That access exists because of partners like King David High School, who opened their doors and made this programme possible.”

The incident powerfully affirmed the life‑saving partnership between King David High School and the Alexandra Youth Swim Academy.

The Alexandra Youth Swim Academy, founded in 2023, is the result of a deeply collaborative partnership between King David High School, the King David Schools’ Foundation, Aquatics Gauteng, Afrika Tikkun and the Kacev Family Library.

Central to this collaboration is King David High School’s commitment to community outreach: providing weekly access to its swimming pool, facilitating transport for learners from Alexandra, and fostering meaningful engagement between its own students and the academy’s participants.

Reflecting on the partnership, Lorraine Srage, Head of School, King David High School, said:

“Opening our pool and partnering with the Alexandra Youth Swim Academy has been an honour and a true expression of King David High School’s commitment to outreach. Our students’ involvement has brought our values of community to life, and we are immensely relieved and proud that Lesetja is safe.”

The programme was conceived by Sasha Minsky, who developed the initiative while still a learner at The Potomac School in the United States, after engaging with community leaders in Alexandra and recognising the urgent need for drowning prevention. The academy directly addresses the high incidence of drownings in the Jukskei River and surrounding waterways by equipping children not only with swimming ability, but with confidence, calmness and life‑saving survival skills.

For King David High School, the partnership reflects a long‑standing ethos that places outreach, responsibility and community at the centre of education. Through the shared efforts of King David Schools’ Foundation donors, educators, students and community partners, hundreds of Alexandra children have already learned to swim, transforming access into opportunity, and skills into safety.

The project has been extremely successful. By the end of 2023, 200 students had been taught through the programme. In 2024, an additional 225 students were successfully trained to swim for survival. An additional 190 students were registered in January 2025. To date, over 600 students have received training through the academy.

“This child’s survival is not an isolated success,” Ruele added.

“It is the outcome of shared vision, trust and commitment. When schools like King David High School embed outreach into their values and actions, lives are genuinely changed – and in this case, saved.”

As Johannesburg continues to experience seasonal flooding, this incident stands as a powerful reminder that swimming education is not a luxury but a necessity, and that strong partnerships between schools and community‑based organisations can make the difference between tragedy and hope.