Man disappears in Ballito waters as nephew rescued from rip currents
Extensive sea and shoreline search underway for missing swimmer in KZN.
Image: National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI)
A search operation continues for a 40-year-old man who went missing in the surf at Thompson’s Beach in Ballito, in KwaZulu-Natal, on Friday morning after being caught in rip currents while swimming.
According to the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Ballito station commander Mike Bishop, rescue teams were mobilised after emergency services were alerted to the incident.
“NSRI Ballito duty crew and the KZN surf rescue network were activated following reports from IPSS Search and Rescue of a search operation in progress at Thompsons Beach, Ballito, where a man, reportedly from Carolina, Mpumalanga, had gone missing in the surf zone,” said Bishop.
He added that it is understood that the man had been swimming with his 13-year-old nephew earlier in the morning when both were caught in rip currents.
An unidentified good Samaritan managed to rescue the teenager, who was not injured, before attempting to assist the uncle.
“The Good Samaritan had returned into the water to attempt to rescue the man who then disappeared under water,” Bishop said.
NSRI rescue swimmers were dispatched to the scene, and the NSRI Ballito JetRIB was launched from Salmon Bay to assist IPSS Search and Rescue.
The South African Police Service (Saps) and KwaDukuza Municipality lifeguards also joined the operation, deploying a jet ski, Malibu rescue boards and additional lifeguards to support free dive sweeping line search efforts both at sea and along the shoreline.
Although massive, coordinated search efforts are underway, not a trace of the missing man was found.
“Despite the extensive sea and shoreline search there remains no signs of the missing man...Thoughts and care are with the family and friends of the missing man in this difficult time,” added Bishop.
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