Cape Town - It is feared a 25-year-old man who went missing while swimming at Monwabisi beach on New Year's Day could be the ninth drowning victim in the Cape this festive season.
It follows extensive warnings issued by the NSRI about dangerous surf conditions and stronger than normal tides due to the supermoon which rises on Tuesday night. The full moon's proximity to Earth will have an added effect to rip tides as well.
“NSRI Strandfontein, WC Government Health EMS, the EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter, Lifeguards, Law Enforcement Marine and a Law Enforcement Marine rescue craft, the SA Police Services, Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services, a Police Dive Unit and Metro police conducted an extensive search,” NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said about the man who went missing at Monwabisi.
“NSRI rescue swimmers and Law Enforcement Marine officers also did a sweeping line free dive search in tin an area on a beach at Monwabisi that is quite a distance away from the lifeguard protected beach area but no sign of the man has been found.
“Police have opened an investigation and a Police Dive unit will continue in an ongoing search operation assisted by lifeguards and Law Enforcement,” said Lambinon.
The City of Cape Town's executive director for safety and security, Richard Bosman, said there had already been at least eight confirmed drownings in the Cape this festive season; three at Mnandi, four at Strand/Gordon's Bay, and another at Soetwater.
Last Friday, four men and a woman were rescued by the NSRI. They had run aground on a sand bank in shallow water at Shark Bay, in the Langebaan Lagoon.
“The sea rescue craft Spirit of Surfski 5 was launched and on arrival on the scene the crew were found safe,” said Lambinon.
“Other incidents reported were in Hermanus, Jeffreys Bay, Witsand and Port Alfred. All people involved in the incidents reported at these beaches were found safe and unharmed,” said Lambinon.
Meanwhile the NSRI also confirmed that a bystander rescuer Johan Lambrecht, 46, from Strand rescued Kavish Narshi, 16, from the Southern Suburbs using a recently placed NSRI Pink Rescue Floatation Buoy at a Wilderness beach.
“An NSRI sea rescue craft was in the process of being launched and lifeguards were also activated by NSRI to respond directly to the scene using their quad bike.
“When lifeguards arrived on the scene, they confirmed that a 16-year-old male was successfully rescued from the water by a member of the public who had used an NSRI Pink Rescue Floatation Buoy that is stationed at the foot of the stairs to the beach. The teenager was not injured.”