Holidaymaker drowns at Dana Bay on Good Friday
A man holidaying in Mossel Bay drowned on Good Friday, 29 March, at Dana Bay's Second Beach.
The man (32), from Strand in the Cape, had been fishing with a friend from a shallow sandbank, when he was swept away by a rip current.
Mossel Bay Advertiser posted the news on its Facebook page on Saturday, 30 March, and by Wednesday this week, there were 455 views, shares and comments from the public, with several people noting that Dana Bay beaches are dangerous.
In a statement after the drowning, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) strongly cautioned both swimmers and fishermen who use the beaches, saying people should definitely not swim there because they are dangerous. They are not swimming beaches and there are no lifeguards stationed at the beaches.
It quoted JC Roos, NSRI Mossel Bay station commander, as saying the NSRI conveyed its condolences to family and friends of the man who drowned.
Activated
Roos noted that NSRI Mossel Bay duty crew "were activated at 12:24 on Friday, 29 March".
He said an off-duty Fire and Rescue Services officer, who was at Dana Bay, reported "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, Roos said.
Rescue craft
He noted that 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 Water Policing and Diving Services (WPDS) 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, Roos said.
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 by rip currents. His friend had tried to save him, but he got into difficulty before he was able to get to shore, where he was assisted.