The body of a river guide who fell into the water during a tour on Saturday has been recovered from Storms River in the Eastern Cape.
The National Sea Rescue Institute’s (NSRI) Oyster Bay station commander Lodewyk van Rensburg issued a statement shortly after the man was successfully retrieved from the water.
Van Rensburg said they were alerted to the incident on Saturday evening when guests were reported overdue from a paddle down the Storms River on rafts.
“From first light on Sunday morning, 27 September, NSRI Oyster Bay duty crew assisted the SA Police Services, a Police Dive Unit, SA National Parks (Sanparks) rangers and EC Government Health Forensic Pathology Services to recover the body of a 31 year old local man from the Storms River.
“On Saturday early evening NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew and Police had responded to Storms River Mouth after 9 persons, 2 river guides and 7 guests, were reported overdue from a paddle down the Storms River on rafts,” he said.
When they located the group, they found eight of the nine people had reached the rendezvous point.
“They reported that one of the 2 river guides had fallen into the water further upriver and was reportedly recovered by the group who performed bystander CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) efforts on the man for an extended period of time but sadly the man was not revived,” said van Wyk.
They started an operation to recover the body of the deceased man, which resumed at first light on Sunday morning.
Van Wyk said the man’s body was taken into the care of police who have opened an inquest docket.
He conveyed his condolences to family and friends of the deceased man.
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