UPDATE | The man has been identified as Ewan Riding-Smith (23).
A young man, believed to be in his mid-twenties, died after jumping from a cliff at Jan se Gat Waterfall on the Kabeljous River in Jeffreys Bay on Sunday, February 27.
According to Kristo Kritzinger, NSRI Jeffreys Bay deputy station commander, on Sunday at about 14:00 the NSRI Jeffreys Bay duty crew were activated following reports of a man missing in the water at Jan se Gat Waterfall.
“It appears that the man from Port Elizabeth had jumped from a cliff’s ledge, at Jan se Gat, and he may have struck his head on a rock before landing in the water,” said Kritzinger.
He said the NSRI Jeffreys Bay rescue vehicle, EC Government Health EMS, Private Care ambulance services, Gardmed ambulance services, Jeffreys Bay Fire and Rescue Services and the SA Police Services responded to the scene and a search commenced for the man who was missing in the water.
Kritzinger said bystanders came across the man in the water and after he was recovered from the water the paramedics commenced Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) efforts.
“After all efforts to resuscitate the man were exhausted, sadly he was declared deceased,” said Kritzinger.
“The body of the man has been taken into the care of Police and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services.”
He said the police have opened an inquest docket.
“Condolences are conveyed to the family of the deceased man,” said Kritzinger.
