One teenager has drowned, another’s body was recovered and one is still missing in the surf in three separate incidents reported on Friday [October 16]. This has prompted the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) to issue a warning to all beach-goers to be extra cautious at the beach due to the New Moon Spring Tide.
NSRI spokesperson, Craig Lambinon, warned that the Spring Tide is likely to last into next week and extra precautions need to be taken to ensure you don’t get caught in a rip tide.
In the first incident, emergency services were alerted to a body found at Mnandi Beach.
“At 11am on Friday, 16 October the City of Cape Town Law enforcement officers and police divers recovered a body from the surf at Mnandi Beach. The body is believed to be that of the body of a man who went missing last Sunday, and police detectives are arranging with the family to formally identity the body that has been taken into the care of police and Western Cape Health Pathology services,” said Lambinon.
Later, at 5.29pm on Friday afternoon, law enforcement officers at Monwabisi were alerted by a local family at the beach that their 14-year-old son was in difficulty in the surf at Monwabisi Beach while swimming. Emergency services responded.
“On arrival on the scene the teenager was missing in the surf. Despite an extensive sea and shoreline search that included sweeping and free dive search efforts by five NSRI rescue swimmers who were deployed into the surf, no sign of the teenager was found,” he said.
Ongoing search efforts will continue.
A short while later, at 5.51pm there was another drowning incident at Lagoon Beach, Milnerton.
According to Lambinon, almost immediately bystanders recovered a 13-year-old from the surf and bystanders conducted CPR efforts. Emergency services arrived and continued efforts to resuscitate the boy, but despite this the teen was declared deceased.
Police have opened an inquest docket into these incidents.
“The drowning incidents In Cape Town on Friday happened during an outgoing Spring tide and it appears in both cases the teenagers were caught in strong rip currents. The Spring High Tide had peaked in Friday afternoon just at 3pm and the Spring High Tide was receding.
“The New Moon Spring Tide peaked on Friday, 16 October. This Spring Tide’s high, the normal high tides and and low the normal low tides will last into the coming week. NSRI are appealing to the public to be cautious while swimming. Don’t go too deep into the surf line and children should have responsible adult supervision when they go into the water,” he warned.
Picture: NSRI/Facebook