MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) issued a statement today about the drowning at Dana Bay yesterday.
The statement quoted JC Roos, NSRI Mossel Bay station commander, as saying the NSRI conveyed its condolences to family and friends of a 32-year-old Cape Town man who drowned.
Activated
Roos noted that NSRI Mossel Bay duty crew were activated at 12:24 on Friday, 29 March, following reports from an off-duty Fire and Rescue Services officer, who was at Dana Bay, reporting a drowning in progress.
An off-duty lifeguard based at another beach in Mossel Bay, also happened to be at the beach at the time, and assisted.
Rescue craft
Roos said two NSRI rescue craft were launched, an NSRI rescue vehicle, NSRI rescue swimmers, in their private vehicles, a Western Cape Health EMS rescue squad and ambulance, Mossel Bay Fire and Rescue Services, Mossel Bay Law Enforcement and the SA Police Services (SAPS) responded.
The police WPDS (Water Policing and Diving Services) were alerted as well.
Assisted
On arrival on the scene one adult male had been assisted from the water and he was not injured and one man was missing, Roos said.
Members of the public spotted the second man in the surf zone, where an NSRI rescue swimmer and Fire and Rescue Services rescue swimmer recovered the man to the beach.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) efforts were commenced by paramedics and NSRI medics, assisted by the Hartenbos Lifesaving lifeguard, who was off duty and happened to be at Dana Bay at the time.
Declared deceased
After extensive efforts to resuscitate the man were exhausted, he was declared deceased.
According to Roos, it appears that the two men, friends, both from the Strand, Cape Town, on holiday in Mossel Bay with family, were fishing from the shore together, reportedly from a shallow sand bank when one man was swept away in rip currents. His friend had tried to save him, but also, it appears he got into difficulty before being able to get to shore, where he was assisted.
The body of the deceased man has been taken into the care of Government Health Forensic Pathology services.
Police have opened an inquest docket as standard procedure.
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