UK visitor, 63, dies during scuba dive

A BRITISH holidaymaker died in Simon’s Town at the weekend when he suffered a heart attack while scuba diving.

The 63-year-old was on a holiday with his family from the UK, and was scuba diving on Saturday, when at about11am he reportedly collapsed.

A dive charter boat, headed towards Simon’s Town, then alerted the NSRI Simon’s Town, as well as paramedics

NSRI and paramedics met the dive charter boat on her arrival at Simon’s Town harbour where advanced life support on the tourist continued, but the man was declared dead.

His wife and daughter were assisted by the police’s trauma counsellors.

The City’s tourism officials and the British Consulate also assisted.

Meanwhile, a juvenile southern right whale carcass, measuring about 6m to 7m, was found washed among rocks between Clifton and Glen Beach on Saturday.

NSRI Bakoven duty crew said they were alerted following witness reports of a whale appearing to be washed up.

The Marine Animal Stranding Network and the Department of Environmental Affairs: Oceans and Coasts were then informed.

Law enforcement officers and the City’s Marine Animal Stranding members were dispatched to the scene and a request was made to the NSRI to tow the carcass to the Oceana Power Boat Club “where law enforcement and solid waste management are arranging the removal of the carcass”.

Gregg Oelofse of the City of Cape Town Marine Animal Stranding Network, confirmed that it was suspected that the whale died from injuries sustained from a ship strike, the NSRI said.