Student missing after midnight swim

A 22-year-old man is still missing after he and two friends were caught in a rip current while swimming at East Beach, Port Alfred, in the early hours of Friday June 27. The NSRI and police have continued the search and police have opened an investigation.

National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) spokesperson Craig Lambinon said the NSRI Port Alfred duty crew were activated at 1.42am on Friday June 27, following reports of a person missing at East Beach.

“It appears that three friends…, Rhodes University students, had gone swimming at East Beach when all three may have been caught in rip currents,” Lambinon said.

One man and a woman were reportedly able to swim to safety, uninjured. Their friend, however, had gone missing in the surf zone.

“NSRI Port Alfred rescue swimmers, a NSRI rescue vehicle, the SA Police Service and Multi Security responded. The NSRI rescue craft Rescue 11 Alpha was launched. An extensive search operation for the missing man commenced. Despite the extensive sea and shoreline search no signs of the missing man were found,” Lambinon said.

Today (Friday), the NSRI Port Alfred rescue craft, an NSRI rescue vehicle and NSRI rescue swimmers have assisted the SA Police Services, Police K9 Search and Rescue and SAPS Water Policing and Diving Services (WPDS) in ongoing search efforts led by the police.

This afternoon the man, who is from Limpopo but lives in Makhanda, remained missing.

“The two survivors have requested privacy at this time,” Lambinon said.

South African Police Service spokesperson Captain Marius McCarthy said, “We can confirm that Port Alfred SAPS is investigating a possible drowning.”

The man’s next of kin had not yet been informed.

Rhodes University’s Communications Division said, “The University is in cooperation with the NSRI regarding the incident, but we remain unable to provide comment.”