Body recovered at Strand Beach – UPDATE

The body of an adult man has been recovered at Strand Beach following the tragic incident that left two men missing in the surf.

Police divers from the Water Policing and Diving Service (WPDS), assisted by the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) and emergency medical personnel, recovered the body on Thursday morning, 3 September.

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The discovery was made in the Helderberg Marine Protected Area near the Lourens River, where an extensive search operation had been underway since Wednesday afternoon.

The NSRI Gordons Bay crew was alerted after reports of a body being discovered on the beach.

The South African Police Service, WPDS divers and Western Cape Government Health EMS responded to the scene.

Body believed to be missing man

The NSRI confirmed that an adult male was found and recovered from the area.

He was sadly declared deceased and his body has been handed over to Police and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services.

The NSRI said it is believed that the deceased is the 39-year-old man who went missing on Wednesday, after being swept out to sea in a rip current while attempting to help a colleague.

However, formal identification by the man’s family is still underway in cooperation with Police and forensic authorities.

Police have opened an inquest docket.

Search continues for second man

The recovery comes after two men disappeared in the surf zone at Strand Beach on Wednesday.

A group of men from a local business had been at the beach on a work off day when one member of the group got into difficulty in the water.

Two colleagues, aged 22 and 39, entered the water in an attempt to assist him but were caught in rip currents and disappeared.

A local surfer, described by the NSRI as a Good Samaritan, is believed to have rescued the man who was initially in distress. He was treated by paramedics and released without requiring further medical care.

An extensive search involving rescue craft, aircraft, drones, emergency services and Police divers was launched.

The body recovered on Thursday is believed to be that of the 39-year-old man from Mfuleni, Blue Downs.

Police divers remain engaged in the ongoing search for the remaining missing man.

The NSRI said its thoughts and care remain with the families, friends and colleagues affected by the tragedy.

The families are being assisted by police.

See the original article below …

Two men remain missing after they were swept out to sea in rip currents at Strand Beach in Cape Town.

Police divers from the Water Policing and Diving Services (WPDS) were continuing search operations on Thursday, 3 September, after the two local men disappeared in the surf zone.

The incident happened on Wednesday afternoon after a group of men from a local business visited the beach on a work off day.

According to the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), its Gordons Bay duty crew was activated at 13:43 following eyewitness reports of a drowning in progress near the Helderberg Marine Protected Area and the Lourens River.

NSRI rescue swimmers immediately responded while the rescue craft Zelda was launched from the organisation’s Gordons Bay satellite station at Strand Beach.

The Spirit of Surfski was also launched from the NSRI Gordons Bay Station 9 rescue base.

Two men swept away while trying to help

The NSRI said one man from the group initially got into difficulties in the water.

His two colleagues, a 22-year-old man from Belhar and a 39-year-old man from Mfuleni, Blue Downs, were caught in rip currents while attempting to assist him.

Both men were subsequently swept out and disappeared in the surf zone.

A local surfer, described by the NSRI as a Good Samaritan, is believed to have rescued the man who was initially in distress.

He was treated at the scene by paramedics and was later released without requiring further medical care.

Extensive search launched

A major multi-agency search operation was launched following the incident.

The response included the South African Police Service, NSRI, GB Med Sec ambulance service, Western Cape Government Health EMS, EMS rescue teams and its drone unit.

Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services, City of Cape Town Law Enforcement, the Law Enforcement Marine Unit and Police divers from WPDS also joined the search.

An EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter conducted aerial searches, while NSRI rescue craft searched both the surf zone and areas further out to sea.

Police divers also conducted free-diving searches in the surf zone.

Despite the extensive air, sea and shoreline search, there had been no sign of either missing man.

Police divers from WPDS were continuing with the search on Thursday.

Police have also opened an investigation into the incident.

The NSRI extended its thoughts and care to the families, friends and colleagues of the two missing men.