Two drownings in Western Cape

Two drownings have been reported in the Western Cape.

A 74-year-old canoeist drowned at Marina Da Gama on Friday while a 53-year-old man drowned while swimming at Glentana‚ also on Friday‚ the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said.

It said that on Friday evening the NSRI Strandfontein crew was activated following a request for assistance from a concerned family reporting a 74-year-old male family member suspected to be missing in the marina at Marina Da Gama after failing to return from a paddle.

“It is suspected that he had departed to paddle to another residence on the marina earlier in the day and when family arrived home in the early evening he was not at home and he was not at the other residence and the canoe he had been paddling on was also not found raising concerns that he may be missing in the marina.

“Local Neighbourhood Watch and friends and a large community effort had started a search and the SA Police Services were called and responded and NSRI Strandfontein dispatched a jet-ski and rescue swimmers‚ Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services dispatched their Fire Dive Unit and jet-skis‚ NSRI Kommetjie dispatched rescue swimmers and a sea rescue craft‚ NSRI Simonstown dispatched a search support team and CMR (Cape Medical Response) dispatched a medical rescue crew.

"During an extensive search the canoe was found during the early hours of the morning [Saturday] appearing to be washed ashore raising concerns that the man was missing in the marina and a search continued for the missing man but after no sign of the man was found during the early hours of the morning a search was suspended and a search resumed at 07h30‚” the NSRI said.

During the ongoing search‚ the body of the man was located and recovered by police divers‚ it said‚ adding that police had opened an inquest docket.

In a separate incident in the Western Cape‚ the NSRI said its Wilderness and Mossel Bay crews had been activated in response to reports of a drowning in Glentana on Friday afternoon‚

“Paramedics arriving on the scene confirmed that a 53 year old male‚ from Rheebok‚ was out of the water and paramedics had initiated CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) efforts.

“After exhausting all efforts at CPR the man was declared deceased by paramedics‚” the NSRI said.

It added that the man’s body had been taken into the care of the Forensic Pathology Services and that police had opened an inquest docket.