A 62-year-old man drowned while surfing at Strand Beach in Cape Town.
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said incident happened on Tuesday.
NSRI's Gordons Bay station commander, Ryan Holmes said duty crew and the City of Cape Town water rescue network were activated following reports of a drowning in progress at Strand Beach.
"Reports were received that a local man, appearing to be in difficulty in the surf with a long board, had been rescued from the water assisted by bystanders, but he was unresponsive," said Holmes.
He said NSRI Gordons Bay, ER24 ambulance services, WC Government Health EMS, GB Med ambulance services, and members from the SA Police Services responded.
"Upon arrival on the scene, extensive Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) efforts were continued by paramedics but, after all efforts to resuscitate the man, age 62, were exhausted, sadly the man was declared deceased," he said.
Holmes said his body was subsequently handed into the care of police and government health forensic pathology services.
"Condolences are conveyed to the family and friends of the deceased man. Police have opened an Inquest docket," he added.
In another incident, on December 5, the NSRI Port Alfred duty crew was called following reports of a teenager missing near East Beach, Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape.
A massive sea and beach search began for a 16-year-old teenager who was last seen in the water while swimming with a group of friends who are all from Soweto, Gauteng.
The group of youngsters and their two caretakers, who are their coaches, apparently went down to the beach to swim when, while swimming, the teenager is suspected of going missing in the sea, and an alert was raised.
"Police K9 Search and Rescue are activated to continue in an ongoing search and a missing persons case has been opened by police who are coordinating efforts. Despite an extensive sea and shoreline search, there remains no signs of the missing teenager," said the NSRI at the time.
In an update, NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said her body was eventually recovered on December 6.
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