Second body found after Victoria Bay double drowning tragedy
The NSRI has confirmed that the second body in a double-drowning tragedy along the Garden Route has been found and identified.
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) on Wednesday confirmed that the second body in a double-drowning tragedy along the Garden Route has been found and identified.
As reported by The South African website, a local 20-year-old male and 17-year-old male went missing while swimming at Victoria Bay on Saturday, 31 August.
What happened?
According to Mike Vonk, NSRI Wilderness station commander, at 17:55, Saturday, 31 August, NSRI Wilderness duty crew were activated by the SA Police Services following reports of two swimmers in distress caught in rip currents at Victoria Bay.
NSRI Wilderness rescue swimmers responded directly to the scene while NSRI crew responded to our NSRI Wilderness station 23 rescue base and launched the NSRI rescue craft Ann Stratford.
George Fire and Rescue services and WC Government Health EMS rescue squad and the SA Police Services responded.
Multiple calls were by that stage being received by eyewitnesses reporting the drowning in progress.
On arrival on the scene we found eyewitnesses indicating where two swimmers had disappeared in the surf zone after being swept out to sea by rip currents.
An extensive sea and shoreline search revealed no sign of the missing two.
Search efforts included NSRI rescue swimmers conducting free dive search efforts in the surf zone.
It was confirmed that a group of six young men had come to swim at Victoria Bay and while swimming the teenager and the young man were caught in rip currents.
First body found
On Tuesday, 3 September, SAPS Water Policing and Diving Services (WPDS) recovered a body, assisted by NSRI Wilderness, at Victoria Bay, of the 17-year-old.
The body of the teenager was taken into the care of Government Health Forensic Pathology Services.
Second body found
On Saturday, 7 September, SAPS Water Policing and Diving Services (WPDS) recovered a body, assisted by NSRI Wilderness, 1.5km off-shore of Wilderness Beach, believed at the time to be that of the 20-year-old, although formal identification was still to be made.
A group of paddlers, paddling from Victoria Bay to Sedgefield, had come across a body floating in the sea and the alarm was raised at 09:16.
The SA Police Services, Police investigating officers and Police WPDS, WC Government Health EMS and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services responded to join NSRI Wilderness duty crew at the NSRI Wilderness station 23 rescue base.
The NSRI rescue craft Ann Stratford was launched.
The body was located and recovered onto the NSRI rescue craft and brought to the NSRI rescue base where the body was taken into the care of Forensic Pathology Services.
NSRI has learned that positive identification has been performed, confirming the body to be that of the 20-year-old male.
The group of paddlers are commended for their assistance.
Condolences are conveyed to the families of the deceased.