Cape Town - The search for the body of a 35-year-old man from Mandalay in Mitchells Plain continues after he was last seen floating before disappearing at Mnandi Beach on Saturday afternoon.
The man had gone swimming with three friends when the incident occurred.
According to National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) spokesperson Craig Lambinon, a call was activated at about 1pm.
The City of Cape Town’s law enforcement, responsible for monitoring drowning incidents at Groot Wolfgat Beach between Monwabisi and Mnandi Beach on the False Bay coast, attended the scene.
The officers had been on patrol in the area shortly before the incident occurred, and had moved on to patrol at Monwabisi when members of the public approached them and alerted them to a drowning in progress at Groot Wolfgat Beach.
Other services also responded to the call and joined the officers at the scene.
“It appears that at approximately 12.30pm, four local male friends, two of them aged 31, a 29-year-old, and a 35-year-old, from Mandalay, were swimming when, on exiting the water, three of the friends noticed that their 35-year-old friend had not come out of the water with them.
“They initiated a search when they noticed their friend floating in the water, appearing to be lifeless.
“They tried to reach their friend in the breaking surf line, but, unable to reach him, they returned to the beach and summoned members of the public on the beach to help them raise the alarm. On arrival on the scene, an extensive search commenced for the missing man.
“Despite an extensive air, sea and shoreline search, there remains no sign of the missing man. Police divers attended the scene and are continuing in an ongoing search operation.”
Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg said Mitchells Plain police had opened a missing person file following the disappearance of the 35-year-old man at the Wolfgat Nature Reserve on Saturday at about 2pm.