Bystanders rescue three teens caught in rip currents as search for missing 18-year-old continues

A search continues for a teenager while three others were rescued by bystanders after they were swept away by rip currents at Sunset Beach, Milnerton, on Saturday.

NSRI Melkbosstrand duty coxswain Terence Lawson on Sunday said an 18-year-old from Mandalay, Cape Town, was still missing despite an extensive search.

“Police divers attended at the scene and are continuing in an ongoing search. Thoughts are with the family of the missing teenager in this difficult time.”

Lawson said NSRI Melkbosstrand was alerted to reports of a drowning in progress at the beach at 2.52pm on Saturday.

“Investigations revealed a possible non-fatal drowning accident occurred but all were safe.”

However, shortly afterwards, another incident occurred. 

“A short time later additional reports suggested another incident occurring at Sunset Beach with bystanders reporting at least four teenagers being swept away by rip currents. NSRI Melkbosstrand, NSRI Table Bay, Milnerton surf life-saving, WC government health EMS rescue squad and ambulance, Life Healthcare response paramedics, City of Cape Town (CoCT) law enforcement officers, community medics, Cape Town fire and rescue services and the SA Police Service responded,” said Lawson.

On arrival it was determined that four teenage boys were in difficulty in the surf.

“One was rescued by two bystanders, a husband and wife, from Mauritius, using an NSRI pink rescue buoy. Then an additional bystander had launched into the water with a bodyboard to go to the aid of two of the teenagers, while the Mauritian man also returned into the water, with the pink rescue buoy, and two teenagers were rescued to the shore,” he said.

He said the three rescued teenagers were assessed by paramedics and required no medical care as they were not injured.

However, one of the teenagers was still missing in the surf.  

“A Milnerton life-saving lifeguard IRHB (inflatable rigid hull boat) rescue craft and 3 NSRI IRHB rescue craft, NSRI Table Bay's Spirit of Day and NSRI Melbosstrand's Rescue 18 Alpha and Film Industry Fund Rescuer 2, searched in the surfline. Shoreline search efforts were conducted. The EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter conducted an aerial search and EMS rescue paramedics used a search and rescue drone to assist in the aerial search.

“Despite an extensive search there remains no sign of the missing teenager. Police divers attended at the scene and are continuing in an ongoing search,” Lawson said.

He added: “It was determined that only minutes before the four boys got into difficulty two unidentified male bystander Good Samaritans had used the NSRI pink rescue buoy to rescue a female who had been caught in the same rip current.

“She was rescued to the shore and before her cousin could warn the four male teenagers of the strong rip current they were swept away.”

Lawson has commended the bystanders for their efforts.

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