KLEINMOND – Emergency services are continuing search and rescue operations for a 16-year-old male from Caledon who went missing while swimming at the Palmiet Day Camp, Palmiet Lagoon, on Saturday 31 January.
The incident marks the third drowning-related fatality in the Palmiet River and Lagoon system over the past five years, according to National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) records.
NSRI Kleinmond, police diving services, Overstrand Fire and Rescue, and additional emergency services have conducted extensive search operations with no trace of the teenager.
Search teams deployed rescue swimmers and utilised both water-based and shoreline search techniques throughout Saturday and Sunday’s operations. The teenager’s family is being supported during the ongoing search efforts.
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Previous incidents highlight ongoing risk
The Palmiet River and Lagoon system has claimed various lives since 2020:
- October 2022: A seven-year-old girl drowned in the Palmiet River near Kleinmond.
- November 2025: A 51-year-old man drowned in Palmiet Lagoon.
- January 2026: Current missing person case at Palmiet Lagoon.
The area has also recorded multiple non-fatal drowning incidents requiring emergency medical intervention and hospitalisation.
Separate Betty’s Bay investigation
In an unrelated incident, police are seeking information about a suspected emergency at Draadbaai, Betty’s Bay, on Saturday afternoon.
An eyewitness reported seeing two men on the rocks, who may have been swept into the sea by waves. Extensive sea, air, and shoreline searches conducted by emergency services found no persons in distress.
No missing person report has been filed in connection with the Betty’s Bay incident.
Kleinmond police are requesting anyone with information about the Betty’s Bay incident to contact them at 028 271 8200. For water emergencies, the public can contact the NSRI’s emergency number: 087 094 9774.
- The current search operation for the missing Caledon teenager remains active, with authorities urging the public to report any relevant information to assist rescue efforts.
