Cape Town - No sign has been found of a teenager who went missing after apparently being caught in rip currents while swimming in the sea at Table View Beach in Cape Town, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said on Sunday.
NSRI Melkbosstrand duty crew were activated at 6.20pm on Saturday evening following reports of a drowning in progress at Table View Beach, NSRI Melkbosstrand station commander Peter O’Hanlon said.
NSRI Melkbosstrand launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of Brenda and Film Industry Fund Rescue 2 and NSRI Table Bay duty crew launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of Day. A Big Bay lifeguard rescue craft was also launched, and NSRI rescue swimmers, Big Bay lifeguards, the EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter, Western Cape emergency medical services (EMS), Cape Town law enforcement and fire and rescue services personnel, and South African Police Service (SAPS) officers all responded.
On arrival on the scene, an extensive sea, air, and shoreline search commenced, including rescue swimmers deployed into the surf conducting free dive sweeping line search efforts.
Despite the extensive search no sign has been found of a 15-year-old boy, from Kraaifontein, who reportedly got into difficulty in the surf while swimming and was swept out to sea by rip currents before disappearing in the surfline.
A police dive unit was continuing an ongoing search, supported by NSRI, Cape Town lifeguards, and law enforcement. Police had opened an investigation, O’Hanlon said.
African News Agency (ANA)