Two drown as Cape enters holiday season

Two people have died and a third was rescued in critical condition as a string of water emergencies hit Western Cape beaches within hours on Saturday.

A 51-year-old Wellington man drowned at Palmiet Lagoon, a 14-year-old boy died at Tabakbaai in Saldanha Bay, and an 18-year-old from the Robertson/Bonnievale area was pulled from the surf in Struisbaai after being found face-down in the water.

Schalk Boonzaaier, NSRI Kleinmond station commander, said: “At 1:23pm, Saturday, November 29, NSRI Kleinmond duty crew were activated following reports from a lady at the Palmiet Rest Camp reporting her friend, a male, age 51, from Wellington, had gone missing in the Palmiet Lagoon while swimming with friends. The 2 friends had lost sight of the missing man while swimming towards the shoreline.”

Emergency teams launched a major search using a jetRIB, rescue swimmers, a Metro EMS drone unit and a rescue diver.

“During the extensive search efforts the man was located under water in the Palmiet Lagoon and recovered, in cooperation with Police. Sadly the man was declared deceased by paramedics,” Boonzaaier said.

His body was taken into the care of police and forensic pathology services. “Condolences are conveyed to family and friends of the deceased man,” he said.

At 3:18pm in Saldanha Bay, NSRI Mykonos responded to reports of a teenager missing in the surf at Tabakbaai.

Craig McIver, NSRI Mykonos deputy station commander, said: “Reports indicated that a teenager had gone missing in the water while swimming in the surf zone.”

Rescue swimmers, NSRI’s Rotarian Burnett, police and EMS scoured the area. “During extensive search efforts the teenager was located semi-submerged adrift in the surf zone and recovered onto the Police Sea Bordeline Control craft… Sadly the local male teenager, age 14, has been declared deceased by paramedics,” McIver said.

“Condolences are conveyed to family and friends of the deceased teenager,” he added.

Minutes earlier, at 3:15pm in Struisbaai, NSRI Agulhas crew conducting routine training were alerted to a teenager lying face-down in the surf.

Shaun Nortje, NSRI Agulhas deputy station commander, said: “NSRI rescue swimmers immediately swam out through the surf zone where they reached the female teenager and were able to secure her before rescuing her to the beach where resuscitation efforts were commenced.”

The 18-year-old regained breathing and was stabilised before being taken to doctors and then hospital. “In the care of doctors and nurses the teenager is expected to make a full recovery,” Nortje said.

He praised the bystander who raised the alarm. “The eyewitness and the NSRI's swift response are commended for saving the life of the teenager who we believe has just completed matric.”

Nortje said the teen had been swimming with friends when they got into difficulty. Three made it back to shore. She “may have at that stage succumbed to the elements when the eyewitness noticed her in distress and raised the alarm,” he said.