In three separate incidents on Wednesday, 18th January, 1 man was rescued and 2 men are missing and are presumed to have drowned.
At 14h56 NSRI Bakoven and Clifton Surf Lifesaving were activated after a man was witnessed waving for help on rocks off-shore of Clifton Beach.
It appears that the man, a construction worker working at a Clifton construction site, had gone for a swim to cool off but after reaching the rocks he may have decided that he had gone far enough and waved for help rather than swimming back.
Clifton Surf lifeguards on their surf rescue rubber-duck reached the man and coaxed him off the rock into their surf rescue boat and they brought him safely ashore. He was not injured and he required no further assistance.
At 15h52 NSRI Table Bay, WC Government Health: EMS, the Skymed rescue helicopter, the SA Police Force, SA National Park rangers, Law Enforcement, Cape Town Traffic Services, ER24 ambulance service, Milnerton Surf Lifesaving and a Police dive unit launched a massive search for a 35 year old male from Rugby who went missing while trying to rescue 2 females in the surf at Milnerton Lagoon Beach.
It appears two females originally got into difficulty and a number of people, including an Uncle of one of the females, went to their rescue but getting into difficulty themselves.
A paddle skier rescued a man, the two females managed to get out of the water safely without assistance but the Uncle of one of the females went missing in the surf during the ‘bystander’ rescue effort.
One man was rescued by an NSRI Hout Bay volunteer rescue swimmer who had also joined in the rescue operation.
An extensive sea, air and shore search has revealed no sign of the man who is presumed to have drowned.
An NSRI sea rescue craft and a private rigid inflatable boat, skippered by an NSRI volunteers son, assisted in the search.
Police have opened an inquest docket and NSRI Table Bay volunteers and Police divers have resumed a search from first light today (Thursday, 19th January).
At 19h12 NSRI Strandfontein, WC Government Health: EMS, the Skymed rescue helicopter, Law Enforcement, the SA Police Force and a Police dive unit launched a massive search and rescue operation for a 27 year old male, from Lost City, Mitchells Plein, who went missing in the surf at Mnandi Beach.
While exact details are still sketchy originally eye-witnesses reported at least 7 people being swept out to sea but following investigations at the beach revealed that 2 people were swept out to sea on a Boogie board and other swimmers and bystanders on the beach had gone into the water to try to rescue the pair but they had all found themselves in some difficulties in strong rip-currents but had managed to get out of the water safely.
One of the pair also made it out of the water safely but the 27 year old man had disappeared.
A Law Enforcement officer swam out to begin searching and he was joined by sea rescue craft and by the Skymed helicopter but despite an extensive sea, air and shore search, no sign of the man has been found and he is missing and is presumed to have drowned.
Police have opened an inquest docket and Police divers will resume the search today.
