Man found buried alive on cape town beach

A man survived being buried alive on a Cape Town beach on Wednesday, a day after being kidnapped in Macassar, said city officials.

He and two of his friends were bundled into a Toyota Quantum with eight occupants on Tuesday, said safety and security spokesman, Richard Bosman.

They were taken to a beach and forced to dig their own graves, he said.

Two of them got away and waved down rapid response unit officers on patrol near the Wolfgat Nature Reserve just before midnight, said Bosman.

They rushed to the beach where they found the third man buried vertically in the sand with a rock on his head.

"They [the kidnappers] had hoped that a tide would come and drown him," said Bosman.

The officers dug him out and took him to the Mitchells Plain police station where he was examined by rescue services before being taken to Mitchells Plain Hospital, he said.

The motive for the kidnapping was not known.

Bosman said three men were later arrested when they were found hiding in the Wolfgat Nature Reserve vicinity.

They were taken to the Delft police station and were charged with kidnapping and attempted murder.

Police were still searching for the other kidnappers.