Cape Town - Emergency services were on full alert at Dolphin Beach in Blouberg on Friday night, searching the sea for what was thought to be an aircraft that crashed in the vicinity about 8.30pm.
At the time of going to press, EMS spokeswoman Keri Davids said “quite a few people” had reported seeing what could have been a small helicopter crash into the sea. But nothing had been found by 9.30pm, although the search was continuing.
However, witnesses on the scene reported seeing a light aircraft fly across the beach, lose control and descend. They also reported seeing a flame.
Davids said there were three cargo ships in the area, but that no distress calls had been made.
City disaster management spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes reported there was a strong smell of aviation fuel in the air at the scene.
He added that the tower at Cape Town International Airport had received a report that a light aircraft had crashed in the vicinity. They sent a helicopter out to check the situation.
NSRI spokesman Craig Lambinon said they had two boats on the water, and were continuing the search, but nothing had yet been spotted. “We are monitoring the area,” he said.
A woman at the scene, Altena Swen, said she saw a green light disappear into the sea while she and her family were at the beach on Friday night.
“We saw this thing coming. It looked like a rocket or a shooting star. It was a green colour, [but] there was no sound,” she said, adding that it had suddenly disappeared from view.
Weekend Argus