A 25-year-old man from Athlone drowned at Gordon’s Bay Main Beach near the naval base on Sunday afternoon (18 February).
According to National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Gordon’s Bay duty coxswain Kyle Burns, the duty crew was activated at 14:22 following eyewitness reports of a drowning in progress. The crew responded to the Station 9 rescue base to prepare to launch rescue craft while rescue swimmers responded directly to the scene.
City of Cape Town lifeguards on duty at Main Beach, had reportedly also just arrived on the scene from their neighbouring duty beach and confirmed an adult man has been rescued and brough to shore by a group of swimmers who had reportedly seen him not moving in the water.
The lifeguards initiated CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) efforts and raised the alarm.
Local police, the City’s Fire and Rescue Services, GBMed ambulance services, provincial health EMS, ER24 ambulance services and Law Enforcement officers responded to the incident.
“Despite extensive efforts by paramedics to resuscitate the man sadly he was declared deceased,” Burns said.
“Family, who had been nearby at Main Beach at the time, were taken into the care of police, and the body of the man was taken into the care of government health’s Forensic Pathology Services.
“At this early stage, it cannot be confirmed if the cause of death is from drowning, and all our thoughts are with the family of the deceased. The eyewitnesses and group who rescued the man from the water are commended for their efforts.”
