Fisherman found dead on rocks along coast while child drowns in Gqeberha

In two separate incidents in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape, a fisherman was found dead on rocks along the coast on Thursday while a body of a child was retrieved from water near a bridge on Christmas Day.

Just after 8am on Thursday morning, the National Sea Rescue Institute Gqeberha duty crew, police and the Nelson Mandela Bay fire and rescue services responded to Seaview after a report of a local fisherman, 53, found dead on the rocks.

“It appears the man had been angling along the shoreline during the night and reportedly after failing to return home, his wife had gone to look for him, finding him deceased on the shoreline. She had flagged down a security vehicle and the alarm was raised,” said NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon.

On arrival, the NSRI found the body of the man which was handed over to the government health forensic pathology services.

Police were investigating the matter and an inquest docket was opened, Lambinon said.

In the afternoon on Christmas Day, a boy was reported missing in water near the Swartkops River Bridge on the N2 freeway in Gqeberha.

It was reported that three children were swimming in the water near the bridge when they reportedly got into difficulties, Lambinon said.

“Two children were able to get out of the water but their friend was missing and the alarm was raised ... During a search, the body of the child was located and recovered from the water by police divers. Sadly, the child was deceased,” he said.

The child’s body was also taken to the government health forensic pathology services while police investigate an inquest.

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