The body of a 15-year-old teenage girl was found on Saturday afternoon-floating in the ocean off Llandudno beach, near a rescue craft, and accompanied by a pod of dolphins.
The teenage girl allegedly slipped off rocks on Friday before she was swept away by rip currents. It’s understood that she was with a group of friends when the incident occurred.
“Teams of the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services and the South African Police Service’s Dive Unit initiated a sea and shoreline search on Friday evening and was joined by various other units on Saturday,” said Craig Lambinon, NSRI spokesperson.
“During the extensive search that an NSRI rescue craft, patrolling deep sea about a kilometre offshore, reported that the body of the teenager was located floating on the water surface accompanied by a pod of dolphins near to the rescue craft.
“Police divers recovered her body from the water, and she was brought to the NSRI Hout Bay rescue station. The body of the teenage girl has been taken into the care of police and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services and an inquest docket has been opened.”
Meanwhile, the body of a 19-year-old Durban teenager, who has been missing for two days, was found floating near shark nets at Addington Beach on Tuesday.
Captain Nqobile Gwala, the police spokesperson said members of the Durban search and rescue unit were called to the beach after the teen’s body was spotted.
“The body was recovered and brought ashore at the Ushaka lifeguard tower,” she said.
“It is alleged that the victim was last seen swimming at Wedge Beach on Sunday before he went missing.
Gwala said an inquest had been opened.
“Due to the increasing number of people who have recently drowned while swimming at the beach, dams and rivers, police in KwaZulu-Natal are cautioning members of the public to take extra precautions. As a result of rising temperatures, more people are swimming at beaches, dams and rivers. This has led to many losing their lives.”
Source: News24, Sowetan Live, Jacaranda FM, image from Twitter: @CapeTownEtc