The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) on Monday, continued searching for a missing diver, who went missing at sea on January 4, in Kleinmond in the Western Cape.
NSRI spokesperson, Craig Lambinon said eyewitnesses reported that a man had gone missing in the vicinity of the Kleinmond tidal pool.
“NSRI Kleinmond duty crew was activated at 5.22pm, on Saturday, following eyewitness reports of a diver appearing to be in difficulties along the rocks on the shoreline at Kleinmond tidal pool on the Bruggie,” Lambinon said.
“NSRI Kleinmond rescue swimmers, Overstrand Law Enforcement, WC Government Health EMS, and the EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter responded. Further eyewitness reports were received reporting the diver appearing to be in difficulties while emergency resources were responding to the scene,” he said.
“Despite an extensive air, sea, and shoreline search no signs of the diver were found.”
He said there had been no reports of any person missing or overdue that may be related to this case.
Anyone with information that can assist police with information related to this case can call Kleinmond police station at 028 271 8200/028 271 8202.
During this incident, a second call was received by the NSRI where a woman reported her husband had not returned home as scheduled after he was diving in Maasbaai in Hangklip.
However, while they were investigating the second call, the wife alerted the NSRI that her husband had returned home safely and required no assistance.
The NSRI said on New Year’s Day, the Kleinmond duty crew was activated after reports of a father and daughter in difficulties on a canoe, offshore at Jocks Bay in Bettys Bay.
“It appears that the father and daughter were in the water after it appears that they had been washed off their canoe while they were fishing,” Lambinon said.
He said an eyewitness, a young man, had visuals of the two casualties and indicated his intentions to join NSRI Kleinmond so he he remained in communications with the responding rescue resources.
“While responding to the scene we requested that the local Good Samaritan man indicate, shout towards, the casualties to swim away from the rocky shoreline to avoid them being battered against the rocky shoreline.”
He said the NSRI Kleinmond rescue craft was launched into sea conditions with two-meter swells and strong gusting wind and managed to rescue the pair.