Police WPDS (Water Policing and Diving Services) are continuing in ongoing search efforts for a male teenager who went missing at Hawston Beach while swimming.
Edrich Kotze, NSRI Hermanus station commander, said: At 12h19, Sunday, 9 November, NSRI Hermanus duty crew were activated following eyewitness reports of a drowning in progress at Hawston Beach, between Hermanus and Kleinmond.
NSRI rescue swimmers, from NSRI Hermanus and from NSRI Kleinmond, responded directly to the scene while NSRI rescue craft were launched at NSRI Hermanus station 17 rescue base and at NSRI Kleinmond station 42 rescue base.
NSRI Hermanus and NSRI Kleinmond rescue vehicles, the SA Police Services, WC Government Health EMS ambulance and EMS rescue squad, ER24 ambulance services, Overstrand Fire and Rescue Services, Overstand Law Enforcement, Overstrand Safety and Security and CMC ambulance services (Critical Medical Care), responded.
On arrival on the scene a search commenced for a 14 year old male, from Grabouw, reported to have gone missing in the water while swimming.
A Metro Rescue drone unit was activated.
Police WPDS (Water Policing and Diving Services) were alerted.
2 NSRI rescue craft searched in and beyond the surf zone. NSRI rescue swimmers were deployed into the water conducting free dive sweeping line search efforts, while a Metro Rescue drone conducted aerial search efforts.
Despite extensive aerial, sea and shoreline search efforts, there remains no signs of the missing teenager who was last seen in the water offshore of rocks at “op die punt”, Hawston Beach.
Police have opened an investigation and Police divers (WPDS) are tasked in ongoing search efforts.
Thoughts and care are with the family and friends of the missing teenager in this difficult time.
Betty Cricket
Diary of an Englishman after he moves to South Africa….
**August 1**: Just got transferred with work from London, UK to our new home in Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa. Now this is a town that knows how to live! Beautiful, sunny days and warm, balmy evenings. I watched the sunset from a deckchair by our pool yesterday. It was beautiful. I’ve finally found my new home. I love it here.
**September 1:** Really heating up now. It got to 31 today. No problem though. Living in air-conditioned home, driving air-conditioned car. What a pleasure to see the sun every day like this. I’m turning into a sun-worshipper – no blasted rain like back in London! Had the back yard landscaped with tropical plants today. Lots of palms and rocks. No more mowing lawns for me! Another scorcher today, but I love it here. It’s Paradise !
**October 1:** The temperature hasn’t been below 35 all week. How do people get used to this kind of heat? At least today it’s windy though. Keeps the flies off a bit. Acclimatizing is taking longer than we expected. Fell asleep by the pool yesterday. Got third degree burns over 60% of my body. Missed three days off work. What a dumb thing to do. Got to respect the old sun in a climate like this!
**October 25:** This wind is a bastard. It feels like a giant fucking blow dryer. And it’s hot as hell! The home air conditioner is on the blink and the repair man charged R200 just to drive over and tell me he needs to order parts from @#$# Johannesburg. The wife & the kids are complaining.
**October 30:** The temperature’s up around 40 and the parts still haven’t arrived for the fucking air conditioner. House is an oven so we’ve all been sleeping outside by the pool for 3 nights now. Bleeding R4 million house and we can’t even go inside. Why the hell did I ever come here?
**November 4:** Finally got the fucking air-conditioner fixed. It cost R1,500 and gets the temperature down to around 35 degrees. Stupid repairman. Fucking thief. If one more smart bastard says ‘Hot enough for you today?’ I’m going to fucking throttle him. Fucking heat! By the time I get to work, the car radiator is boiling over, my fucking clothes are soaking fucking wet and I smell like baked cat. Fucking place is the end of the Earth.
**November 9:** Tried to run some errands after work, wore shorts, and sat on the black leather upholstery in my car. I thought my fucking backside was on fire. I lost 2 layers of flesh, all the hair on the backs of my legs and off my fucking behind. Now the car smells like burnt hair, fried bum and baked cat. The Weather report might as well be a fucking recording – hot and sunny. Hot and sunny, Hot and fucking sunny. It’s been too hot to do anything for 2 bleeding months and the weatherman says it might really warm up next week. Fuck!!
**November 15:** Doesn’t it ever rain in this darn place? Water restrictions will be next, so my R5,000 worth of palms might just dry up and blow into the fucking pool. The only things that thrive in this hell-hole are the fucking flies. You don’t dare open your mouth for fear of swallowing half a dozen of the little buzzards!
**November 20:** Welcome to HELL! It got to 45 degrees today. Now the air conditioner is gone in my car. The repair man came to fix it and said, ‘Hot enough for you today?’ I wanted to shove the car up his backside. Anyway, had to spend the R2,500 of the mortgage payment to bail me out of jail for assaulting the stupid fool. Fucking PHALABORWA! What kind of sick, demented idiot would want to live here!
**December 1:** WHAT!!!! The FIRST day of Summer!!!!
You are fucking kidding me, right?
Cupid Dust
Fun South African Fact: The Union Buildings in Pretoria house the President’s official offices. The site is worth a visit to marvel at a larger-than-life statue of Nelson Mandela as well as the immaculate gardens and grounds.