Cape Town - The police diving unit is monitoring water conditions after reports that a teenage boy was swept away at Llandudno’s Sandy Bay on Wednesday afternoon.
Rescue teams could not dive in the water yesterday because of the high tide.
The 17-year-old was swept off the rocks on the shoreline below the Llandudno Sandy Bay parking area at about 3.44pm on Wednesday while with his friends and girlfriend.
National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) spokesperson Craig Lambinon said when the team of rescuers arrived shortly after they were flagged, an extensive search commenced for the local teenager who was last seen in heavy sea surf, approximately 300m to 400m offshore.
“It appears he had been in shallow surf on rocks on the shoreline when a wave reportedly swept him off his feet and we believe he had attempted to swim with sea currents to escape the rocky shoreline.
“The Police Dive Unit was activated and accompanied by the EMS rescue squad drone unit, Hout Bay Police and NSRI, an extensive search using a rescue drone, with a Thermal Imaging Camera Technology (FLIR), and shoreline patrols was continued into the night but there remains no sign of him.
“The teams are continuing in an ongoing search operation. Thoughts are with the family and friends of the missing teenager in this difficult time.”
A parking marshal in Sandy Bay, who would like to remain anonymous, said he saw the youngster with his girlfriend.
“With each wave, the teenager kept drifting and disappearing into the water. The rescue team’s helicopter took a long time to arrive. Should they have been here in less than 30 minutes, maybe that boy would have been saved or his body would have been recovered by now.”
Hout Bay police station commander Jerome Syster said they have opened a missing person’s case.