A Cape Town man on holiday along the Garden Route drowned on Good Friday while fishing.
The 32-year-old man from Strand was declared deceased at Dana Bay in Mossel Bay.
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) confirmed the incident, NSRI Mossel Bay station commander, JC Roos said duty crews were activated at about 12.25pm, following reports from an off-duty Fire and Rescue Services officer who was at Dana Bay.
“Two NSRI rescue craft were launched, an NSRI rescue vehicle, NSRI rescue swimmers - in their private vehicles, Western Cape Government Health EMS rescue squad and ambulance, Mossel Bay Fire and Rescue Services, Mossel Bay Law Enforcement and the SA Police Service (SAPS) responded. SAPS Water Policing and Diving Services (WPDS) were alerted.
“On arrival on the scene, one adult male had been assisted from the water and he was not injured and one man was missing. Public members spotted the second man in the surf zone where an NSRI rescue swimmer and Fire and Rescue Services rescue swimmer recovered the man to the beach,” Roos said.
He said cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) efforts were commenced by paramedics and NSRI medics and assisted by a Hartenbos lifeguard.
After extensive efforts to resuscitate the man were exhausted, he was declared dead at the scene.
“It appears that the two men, friends, both from the Strand, Cape Town, on holiday in Mossel Bay with family, were fishing (shoreline angling) together, reportedly from a shallow sand bank when the one man was swept away in rip currents. His friend had tried to save him but it appears he got into difficulty before being able to get to shore where he was assisted.
“The body of the deceased man has been taken into the care of Government Health Forensic Pathology services,” Roos said.
An inquest docket has been opened by police.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
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