![Cape Town-150102-The body of an elderly man had washed up on the shores of Fish Hoek this morning [150102]. Police crowd the scene and block off the walk way running alongside the railway line, as the body is removed. The cause of his death is still yet unknown. Reporter: Jan, Photo: Ross Jansen](https://image-prod.iol.co.za/16x9/1600/Cape-Town-150102-The-body-of-an-elderly-man-had-washed-up-on-the-shores-of-Fish-Hoek-this-morning-150102-Police-crowd-the-scene-and-block-off-the-walk-way-running-alongside-the-railway-line-as-the-body-is-removed-The-cause-of-his-death-is-still-yet-unknown-Reporter-Jan-Photo-Ross-Jansen?source=https://xlibris.public.prod.oc.inl.infomaker.io:8443/opencontent/objects/b35fe599-f583-55af-82fe-19eb41ea16aa)
Cape Town - Police are investigating the death of a man who was found in the sea off Fish Hoek beach near the shark exclusion nets on Friday morning.
Saps Western Cape spokesman Frederick van Wyk said the body found was that of a white man, aged between 55 and 60, wearing yellow and blue swimming shorts and blue swimming goggles.
JP Smith, mayoral committee member for safety and security, told Weekend Argus the man had been discovered tied to a concrete mooring block of a buoy with cable ties.
The body was discovered by members of the Shark Spotters at 10.20am while they were carrying out routine checks on the nets that are dragged out daily to stop sharks from entering the swimming area of the beach.
The body was found on the southern end of the beach near a blue buoy that is used to secure a section of the shark nets, about 25m from Jager’s Walk.
Van Wyk said an inquest docket into the circumstances surrounding the death had been opened.
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), meanwhile, has warned beachgoers to be especially cautious over the weekend and next week because there will be stronger than normal rip currents caused by a full moon spring tide.
The tide will peak on Monday and continue until Friday.
“Bathers are at risk of being swept out to sea by rip currents while swimming or wading in water along the beach front,” said NSRI spokesman Craig Lambinon.
“Even bathers wading in shallow water can find themselves trapped in a rip current.”
If caught in a rip tide, Lambinon said it was important not to fight against the current’s strong pull as that would lead to exhaustion.
“Let the current sweep you out to sea but at your first opportunity swim parallel to the beach front until you are free of the rip current,” he said.
He urged beachgoers to swim within safe swimming lifeguard zones and keep a close eye on children.
The NSRI has had a busy few days rescuing swimmers and sailors in distress as thousands of Capetonians flocked to beaches over the festive season.
On Thursday evening, NSRI rescue swimmers saved a teenager at Strandfontein beach. The 14-year old was one of three friends swept out to sea by rip currents.
While two of the teens reached a sandbar and got out of the water unassisted, the third had to be rescued.
He was unharmed.
In Simon’s Town, the NSRI assisted a French husband and wife whose yacht had been damaged by a seal who managed to break into its engine room while in port. The yacht was towed to a safe mooring after taking on water.
The Western Cape Department of Health EMS/AMS rescue helicopter was also in action yesterday. It was dispatched to Noordhoek beach to assist an injured 16-year-old.
The patient was airlifted to Noordhoek common and handed over to a ground ambulance crew.
Weekend Argus