A weekend outing turned tragic in Mossel Bay when two teenagers lost their lives after being swept away by rip currents at De Bakke Beach, prompting a large-scale rescue effort and renewed warnings about ocean safety.
Emergency services were alerted at around four in the afternoon on Saturday, the 25th of April, after reports of a drowning in progress at De Bakke Beach.
The National Sea Rescue Institute, along with SAPS, ambulance services and Mossel Bay Fire and Rescue, responded to the scene as conditions in the surf made rescue efforts challenging.
A member of the public, described by rescuers as a Good Samaritan, entered the water on a bodyboard after spotting two teenagers struggling in what appeared to be a strong rip current. He managed to reach an 18-year-old girl, who was already unresponsive, and brought her onto his board while awaiting assistance.
An NSRI rescue craft later retrieved her and brought her to shore, where paramedics immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Despite extensive efforts, she was declared deceased at the scene.
While attempts were made to save the young woman, a second operation was launched to locate a 15-year-old boy who had also been caught in the current.
The search effort extended into the evening, involving NSRI rescue swimmers, police divers from the Water Policing and Diving Services, and aerial support including a thermal drone and private drones scanning the surf zone.
Despite the extensive operation, no sign of the boy was found before nightfall, and the search was suspended until first light.
On Sunday morning, search teams resumed operations, and police divers later recovered a body in the search area believed to be that of the missing teenager. Formal identification procedures are being handled by Government Health Forensic Pathology Services.
According to authorities, a group of five young people had been at the beach when the two victims were caught in the surf.
The NSRI extended its condolences to the families, while SAPS has opened an inquest docket to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The tragedy has once again highlighted the dangers of rip currents, which can pull swimmers away from the shoreline within seconds. Authorities continue to urge the public to swim in designated areas and remain aware of changing ocean conditions along the Western Cape coast.
Source: IOL – Weekend Argus Reporter.
