Joburg tourist missing after swim at Umhlanga beach

NSRI rescue swimmers are searching for a 23-year-old man who went swimming at an Umhlanga beach, north of Durban, before a flight back to Johannesburg and was caught in a rip current on Monday.

NSRI Umhlanga station commander Matt Dickey said eyewitnesses reported a drowning in progress in the surf zone at Eastmore Crescent, Umhlanga, at 1.15pm.

He said the NSRI rescue craft JetRib Rescue 5 Charlie was dispatched.

“On arrival, NSRI rescue swimmers and eThekwini Umhlanga lifeguards launched into the surf using a Malibu rescue board and rescue torpedo buoys and free-dive searched for the 23-year-old male who had gone missing in the surf after being caught in rip currents.”

Despite an extensive sea and shoreline search, no sign of the missing man was found.

Dickey said two brothers from Limpopo and now living in Johannesburg were visiting the Drakensberg on holiday and were returning to Johannesburg. They decided to go to the beach for a swim before their flight and one brother, who is studying at the University of Limpopo, entered the water.

Dickey said a local bystander tried to help and retreated when lifeguards and NSRI rescue swimmers joined the search. He said eThekwini Umhlanga Surf Lifesaving, police search and rescue and metro police search and rescue are continuing the search.

Family of the missing man arrived in Umhlanga from Johannesburg.

TimesLIVE