At 9am on Friday morning, the National Sea Rescue Institute’s (NSRI) Gordons Bay duty crew was activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) following reports of a drowning in progress at Strand Beach.
The sea rescue craft Boetie Woltemade was launched, along with a rescue vehicle, rescue swimmers, Government Health EMS, Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services, Fire and Rescue Dive Unit and the SA Police Services. The teams were further accompanied by Law Enforcement Marine Unit, GB Med Security ambulance service, the AMS/EMS Skymed rescue helicopter and local Neighbourhood Watch members responded.
The Police Dive Unit were also placed on alert.
When authorities arrived at the scene, they found that two local adult males, who are believed to have been in the surf on a canoe, had reportedly gotten into difficulty.
One of the men was safely ashore, suffered non-fatal drowning symptoms and was taken into the care of paramedics. The other man was, however, missing in the ocean.
Despite an extensive air, sea and shoreline search – including rescue swimmers in the water searching, no sign of the missing man has been found.
A Police Dive Unit will continue in an ongoing search operation.
The injured man has been transported to a nearby hospital and is reported to be in a stable condition.
Police have opened an investigation.
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