Search continues for teen who went missing while swimming at Melkbosstrand

File photo: NSRI Melkbosstrand duty crew were activated at 11.55am following reports from City of Cape Town law enforcement officers who were on the scene. Picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency(ANA)

File photo: NSRI Melkbosstrand duty crew were activated at 11.55am following reports from City of Cape Town law enforcement officers who were on the scene. Picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency(ANA)

Published Dec 27, 2020

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CAPE TOWN - Despite an extensive search by various entities, no sign has been found of a Cape Town teenager who went missing while swimming in the sea at Melkbosstrand, north of Cape Town, on Sunday morning, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said.

NSRI Melkbosstrand duty crew were activated at 11.55am following reports from City of Cape Town law enforcement officers who were on the scene where a male teenager, from Manenberg in Cape Town, went missing in the surf while swimming at Ouskip at Melkbosstrand, NSRI spokesman Craig Lambinon said in a statement.

NSRI Melkbosstrand duty crew and NSRI lifeguards, City of Cape Town lifeguards, Western Cape emergency medical services (EMS), Cape Town fire and rescue services, the South African Police Service (SAPS), Melkbosstrand Neighbourhood Watch, Cape Town disaster risk management, and the EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter all responded to join the Cape Town law enforcement officers on the scene, he said.

Three sea rescue craft were launched to join in the search and lifeguards were deployed into the surfline to conduct sweeping line free dive search efforts.

"Despite an extensive air, sea, and shoreline search there remains no sign of the teenager who went missing in the surf while swimming with family members. A police dive unit are tasked to continue in an ongoing search operation and they will be assisted by services that are on duty in the area. Our thoughts are with the family of the missing teenager in this difficult time," Lambinon said.

- African News Agency (ANA), editing by Jacques Keet

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