A 66-year-old man who was swimming with a friend drowned when he got caught in a rip current at Klein Brak Beach in the Western Cape on Monday.
The National Sea Rescue Institute's (NSRI) Craig Lambinon said lifeguards who were preparing for duty at about 8.40am were alerted to a drowning about 450m from their lifeguard tower.
It appears the man and his friend had been swimming together when they may have been caught in rip currents, said Lambinon.
"It was found that the 66-year-old local male had been in difficulty in the water and he had been rescued from the water by his friend, also a local, who described to NSRI how she had managed to swim the man to the beach even though he was lifeless in the water."
Lifeguards determined that the man was not breathing and had no pulse. Despite efforts to resuscitate him, he was declared dead by paramedics.
The body of the man was taken to the mortuary and police have opened an inquest docket.
TimesLIVE
Rip tide claims local at Klein Brak Beach in Western Cape
Image: 123/alexzaitsev
A 66-year-old man who was swimming with a friend drowned when he got caught in a rip current at Klein Brak Beach in the Western Cape on Monday.
The National Sea Rescue Institute's (NSRI) Craig Lambinon said lifeguards who were preparing for duty at about 8.40am were alerted to a drowning about 450m from their lifeguard tower.
It appears the man and his friend had been swimming together when they may have been caught in rip currents, said Lambinon.
"It was found that the 66-year-old local male had been in difficulty in the water and he had been rescued from the water by his friend, also a local, who described to NSRI how she had managed to swim the man to the beach even though he was lifeless in the water."
Lifeguards determined that the man was not breathing and had no pulse. Despite efforts to resuscitate him, he was declared dead by paramedics.
The body of the man was taken to the mortuary and police have opened an inquest docket.
TimesLIVE
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