Fears grow for Johannesburg student missing at Coffee Bay
· The South African
A search operation is continuing for a 21-year-old Johannesburg man who went missing while swimming at Coffee Bay on the Eastern Cape coast over the weekend.
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According to the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), rescue crews were activated around 11:25 on Saturday following reports of a drowning in progress at Coffee Bay’s main beach near the Ocean View Hotel.
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Dispatched officers
NSRI Mdumbi lifeguards responded directly to the scene while rescue crews launched the station’s JetRIB rescue craft.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) was also alerted and dispatched officers to assist.
Upon arrival, rescuers established that the missing man, a university student from Johannesburg, had been visiting Coffee Bay from Mthatha with friends for the day when he disappeared in the surf zone while swimming.
Friends and eyewitnesses directed rescuers to the area where the young man had last been seen.
An extensive search operation involving sea and shoreline patrols was immediately launched, but no trace of the missing swimmer was found.
As the search continued, SAPS K9 Search and Rescue units and police divers were called in to assist.
Combed the coastline
Search efforts resumed on Sunday, with NSRI lifeguards supporting police teams as they combed the coastline and surrounding waters.
According to the NSRI, police K9 Search and Rescue teams remain engaged in ongoing search operations, assisted by local lifeguards.
Police have opened an investigation into the incident.
The young man remains missing at the time of publishing.
Distressing time
The NSRI extended its thoughts to the family and friends of the missing student during what it described as a difficult and distressing time.
Coffee Bay is a popular tourist destination on the Wild Coast, but strong currents and unpredictable surf conditions can pose dangers to swimmers, particularly during periods of rough seas.
Authorities continue to urge beachgoers to exercise caution and swim only in designated areas where lifeguards are present.