Pennington Beach Tragedy: Search Continues for Two Missing After New Year's Day Drowning
Pennington, KwaZulu-Natal – The search continues for two young men who went missing after a mass drowning at Pennington Beach on KwaZulu-Natal’s South Coast on New Year’s Day. The incident, one of several reported at beaches across South Africa on the holiday, has cast a shadow over celebrations and highlighted the dangers of rip currents.
The alarm was raised on Thursday evening, prompting a swift response from IPSS Medical Rescue, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), and local lifeguards. They received reports that a group of five people had been swept out to sea at Pennington Beach, near the tidal pool.
According to NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon, the five individuals were caught in treacherous rip currents within the surf zone. Tragically, one person was rescued, and the bodies of two men, both aged 21, were recovered from the water. The remaining two men, also believed to be 21 years old, are still missing.
"Search and rescue lifeguards and the NSRI will return to the beach this morning (Friday) to continue the search," confirmed Samantha Meyrick of IPSS Medical Rescue, underscoring the commitment to finding the missing men.
The Pennington Beach tragedy was not an isolated incident. New Year’s Day saw a spate of water-related emergencies at beaches around the country.
In Gordon’s Bay, Western Cape, NSRI teams recovered the lifeless body of a man floating in the surf zone. Another grim discovery was made in Langebaan, where the body of a 26-year-old man from Burundi was found in the surf by a kiteboarder.
There was also a near-tragedy in Knysna, Western Cape, where a teenager was rescued and resuscitated by NSRI crew members. The 13-year-old was transported to hospital after appearing to suffer a medical condition while swimming. Lifeguards noticed the teenager in distress and immediately raised the alarm, initiating the rescue and CPR efforts.
Further north, in St Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal, another teen disappeared while swimming at Jabula Beach. He was among three people swept out to sea in rip currents. While two were rescued, the search continues for the missing 15-year-old boy.
The dangers persisted into Friday morning. IPSS Medical Rescue received reports of a swimmer in distress off Thompson’s Bay beach in Ballito. A search is currently under way, with KwaDukuza Lifeguards and the NSRI joining the effort.
The multiple incidents serve as a stark reminder of the potential hazards of swimming in the ocean, particularly the dangers posed by rip currents. Authorities are urging beachgoers to exercise extreme caution, swim only at beaches with lifeguards on duty, and heed all warnings and instructions. As the search for the missing men at Pennington Beach continues, hopes are dwindling, but rescue teams remain committed to bringing closure to their families.
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