Cape Town – A rescue attempt had to be launched at Voëlklip beach, near Herolds Bay, after a red Chevrolet Spark plunged into the sea on Tuesday night.
Police have opened an inquest after the body of a 52-year-old woman was recovered around 7am yesterday.
Netwerk24 reported that the woman was Zonita Basson, a realtor from George known for her big heart, who assisted the elderly and cancer victims, and had five dogs from the SPCA.
Someone who saw Basson on Monday said she had been full of jokes and was looking forward to a visit from her fiancé, though other sources claimed she had money and relationship problems.
Southern Cape police spokesperson Chris Spies said a member of the public informed police of the incident.
“They saw the car plunging down the cliff, still with its lights on. The car had a CAW (George) registration.
“Preliminary investigation into this matter indicates that a red Chevrolet Spark went over a cliff at Voëlklip at about 9.30pm on Tuesday. A search and rescue team was dispatched to the scene.
“This team, which consisted of the SAPS Diving Unit, Emergency Medical Services, Pathology Services and the National Sea Rescue Institute, worked through the night in an effort to recover the vehicle from the sea.
“Members on the scene saw a body on the rocks and the recovery operation was launched in an effort to retrieve the body from the water. The body of the deceased was later airlifted from the sea.”
Spies said while the body was recovered, the wreckage was proving difficult to retrieve.
The circumstances leading to the incident were being investigated, but no foul play was suspected at this stage, he added.
The incident occurred at the same lookout point, with a 100m drop, that claimed the lives of a Herolds Bay mother and her two children at the end of October.
They had plunged down the cliff in their VW Caravelle.
Last month, police called off the search for missing 6-year-old Cuzette Scheepers. The bodies of Cuzette’s 2-year-old brother, Hugo, and her 35-year-old mother, Heidi, were found in the sea after they went missing on October 22.
Cape Times