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Police divers (WPDS) and Police K9 Search and Rescue.
A search is underway for a 22-year-old man who went missing yesterday after being swept out to sea by rip currents while swimming in the surf at Shelly Beach on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast.
National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) spokesperson, Craig Lambinon, says it’s understood that the missing man was doing maintenance work at the tidal pool when he decided to go for a swim.
Other workers at the tidal pool, surfers and other bystanders tried to reach the man, but he disappeared under the water.
Lambinon says extensive search and rescue efforts were launched.
“A man was caught in rip currents while swimming, at low tide, and he was being swept out to sea. There were efforts by bystanders who were trying to assist. NSRI Port Edward rescue swimmers and an NSRI Shelly Beach rescue swimmer responded, while NSRI crew responded to our NSRI Port Edward station 32 rescue base, where our NSRI rescue vehicle, towing our NSRI rescue craft Spirit of Surfski 7, responded. Our NSRI rescue craft was launched at Ramsgate Ski-Boat Club – responding to the scene,” says Lambinon.
