Body found in Kowie River may be that of missing student

A body found in the Kowie River during the weekend is believed to be that of a 22-year-old man who went missing at East Beach a week earlier. The man, a Rhodes Uiversity student, disappeared while swimming with friends in the early hours of Friday June 27.

National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) spokesperson Craig Lambinon said the police assisted by NSRI Port Alfred Station 11 recovered a man’s body from the Kowie River around 1am on Saturday July 5.

Lambinon said it was believed the body recovered was that of the missing student; however, formal identification of the body, in cooperation with the South African Police Service and the state Health Forensic Pathology Services, was in progress. The man’s identity was yet to be confirmed.

Police divers, the NSRI and Ndlambe Municipality conducted search operations for the missing student after he and two friends were caught in a rip current around 1.30am on Friday June 27. Police opened a missing person investigation.

“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 after the incident.

One man and a woman were reportedly able to swim to safety, but their friend had gone missing in the surf zone. The NSRI rescue craft Rescue 11 Alpha, NSRI Port Alfred rescue swimmers, a NSRI rescue vehicle, the South African Police Service, SAPS K9, SAPS Water Policing and Diving Services and Multi Security were involved in the immediate response and subsequent search operations, Lambinon said. Despite the extensive sea and shoreline search that continued in daylight, no signs of the missing man had been found.

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

The body of the man thought to be that of the missing student was taken into the care of Police and state Health Forensic Pathology Services.

The police had opened an inquest docket, Lambinon said.