German tourist missing in surf at St Francis Bay

A German tourist is feared drowned after going missing in surf at St Francis Bay in the Eastern Cape on Thursday.

The National Sea Rescue Institute's St Francis Bay station commander‚ Sarah Smith‚ said their duty crew were activated at 1.30pm following reports of a drowning in progress at a beach known as Ducks Beach‚ near to the Cape St Francis Resort.

NSRI rescue swimmers were dispatched to the scene and the sea rescue craft Spirit of St Francis II was launched.

"On arrival on the scene‚ we joined staff of the Cape St Francis Resort‚ bystanders and surfers searching in the water for a 58-year-old German tourist missing in the surf after being swept out to sea by strong rip currents‚" Smith said.

"It appears that a group of tourists from a tour group had gone into the surf where some were wading in shallow water but one man had gone in deeper where‚ according to eye-witnesses‚ he had been swept out to sea... before disappearing underwater."

The other tourists who had been wading in shallow water had all been able to get out of the surf.

"Despite an extensive sea and shoreline search‚ including rescue swimmers deployed into the surf to free-dive search‚ in extremely strong rip currents‚ no sign of the man has been found and police have been called to open an investigation and to continue an ongoing search operation‚" Smith said.

- TMG Digital