Gerhard Potgieter, NSRI Gauteng station commander, said: At 07h01, Sunday, 5 January, NSRI Gauteng duty crew were activated following a request for assistance from the SA Police Services and SARZA (Search and Rescue South Africa). searching for a man, age 26, believed to be from Chartwell, who went missing reportedly at around 23h30, on the night of 1 January, while crossing over a pipeline on the Jukskei River, in the vicinity near to Fourways.
An ongoing extensive search by the SA Police Services, SAPS Water Policing and Diving Services, SAPS K9 Search and Rescue, Johannesburg Fire and Rescue Services aquatic rescue unit and SARZA, launched on the morning of 2 January, has found no trace of the man who was reportedly swept off a pipeline he may have been using to cross over the Jukskei River during a flash flood.
Our NSRI Gauteng swift water rescue team joined in the search on Sunday morning, with NSRI Gauteng swift water rescuers divided into teams joining Police, SARZA and Fire and Rescue Services in the extensive ongoing search efforts along the Jukskei River and along the Klein Jukskei River searching in the directions of Fourways, Chartwell, Broadacres and Steyn City.
A Police helicopter has been deployed to assist in this ongoing search operation.
20 kilometers of river were covered on Sunday and there remains no signs of the missing man.
Thoughts, care and compassion are with the families of the missing man in this difficult time.
Police and emergency services are continuing in ongoing search efforts.
NSRI, Police and the emergency services are appealing to the public not to cross low lying bridges or roadways submerged by water on rivers swollen by heavy rainfalls that are being experienced in places around the country.
Jack Cassidy
Fun South African Fact: The meandering 850km road through Cape Winelands is the world’s longest wine route.