A game of beach soccer ended in tragedy after the lifeless bodies of the two soccer players who went missing at Lagoon Beach were retrieved from the water Monday morning.
The men aged 19 and 20 years old were members of a local soccer team who had come to play at the beach on Sunday.
Both of the men appear to have been caught in severe rip currents as they went into the surf to get a soccer ball.
Authorities have confirmed that two bodies believed to be the two soccer players were found by police divers just after 11am during the spring low tide.
Spokesperson for the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Craig Lambinon said the bodies have not been formally identified by the families yet.
Lambinon thanked all role players involved in the search and offered a message of condolence to the families of the deceased.
Police spokesperson, Anelisiwe Manyana confirmed that two bodies of males were recovered while the circumstances are still under investigation.
Lambinon also revealed that good Samaritan surfers had used a NSRI rescue buoy to try and rescue the two young men.
A man by the name of Michael Templeton gave a harrowing account on his Facebook page of how he attempted to save the two men in distress.
He explained that what began as a leisurely stroll along the Milnerton lagoon beachfront near Wang Thai quickly transformed into a frantic rescue mission.
“Two young soccer players, lured into the water to retrieve a ball, were swiftly swept away by a powerful current, exacerbated by recent rains and a swollen, fast-flowing lagoon.
“As I watched their desperate struggle, my frantic search for flotation devices came up empty-handed. With mounting dread, I witnessed one of the boys being dragged under, fighting to stay afloat,” he wrote.
He said that despite reaching the youngster, “the waves tore him from my grasp, and within moments, he vanished beneath the water's surface.
“Exhausted and fully clothed, I battled for my own survival, eventually washing ashore 30 agonising minutes later further down the beach.”
Templeton added: “The tragic outcome could potentially have been different had emergency flotation devices been available along the promenade.”
Milnerton Life Saving Club said in a statement, the City should place permanent lifeguards on the beach.
“With adequate equipment and facilities from the start of the professional duty season that usually coincides with the September school holidays and not only for the peak festive period from 15 December,” they said.
Templeton said that the perceived serenity of places like the lagoon masks lurking dangers, strong currents, rip tides, and the unpredictable lagoon mouth that pose significant risks to unsuspecting swimmers.
“Every life lost is one too many. When will the council prioritise safety and provide the protection our citizens deserve,” he said.