The family of a Belhar man who was swept out to sea after attempting to rescue a swimmer at Strand Beach last week has appealed to the public for help in searching for him.

Champion

TygerBurger reported last week that Slade van der Walt, a former weightlifting champion, was one of two people swept out to sea. The body of a man from Mfuleni has since been discovered.

It appears that a group of men from a local business, on their day off, went to the beach, where one of their group, a local man, got into difficulty in the water. His two colleagues, including Van der Walt (22) and a 39-year-old from Mfuleni, were caught in rip currents while trying to assist their friend, and both men disappeared in the surf zone.

According to Craig Lambinon, spokesperson for the National Sea Rescue Institute, an unidentified local surfer rescued the man who was initially in distress. That man was attended to by paramedics and released, requiring no further medical care.

On Thursday 3 September, a day after the incident, NSRI Gordon’s Bay were alerted to reports of a body discovered on Strand Beach, in the Helderberg Protected Marine Area, near the Lourens River.

“The police, police divers — Water Policing and Diving Service (WPDS) — and Western Cape Government Health EMS were alerted and responded, while NSRI Gordon’s Bay crew responded to the scene to assist. On arrival on the scene, the body of an adult man was located and recovered by police divers, assisted by NSRI and EMS paramedics. The body of the man has been taken into the care of the police and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services,” said Lambinon.

“While it is believed that the body located and recovered is that of the 39-year-old man who went missing on Wednesday (2 September), formal identification by the family is in progress, in cooperation with the police and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services. An inquest docket has been opened by the police. Condolences are conveyed to the family, and thoughts and care remain with the families, friends, and colleagues related to this tragedy,” said Lambinon at the time.

Help

Over the weekend, Van der Walt’s partner, Jordan-Lee Isaaks, put out a post on social media asking for the community’s help in locating him. “We are asking family, friends, community members, and anyone who can help to come together and join the search for Slade. Slade went into the water to try and save someone who was drowning but got caught in a rip current and went missing at sea,” read the post.

Earlier, she posted on Instagram that “life will never be the same”.

“My best friend, the best dad in the world, my entire world. Sladey, you are the love of my life, and that’ll never change. I love you more than words could ever express. I pray God brings you back to me. I need to marry my best friend,” Isaaks wrote.

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