Ongoing Search for Graham Howes

An extensive sea, air and shoreline search continued into the early hours of Monday morning for missing local kite-boarder Graham Howes, age, 38, from Bloubergstrand on a blue and black kite-board, with a white kite sail with red writing, in a black wet suit.

At 19h59, Sunday, 7 September, NSRI Melkbosstrand duty crew were activated following reports from family that Graham had not returned from an afternoon kite-boarding session offshore of Eden on the Bay, Bloubergstrand.

Wearing a wet-suit Graham was last seen kite-boarding in the area at around 13h00 but he has failed to return as was expected reportedly by late afternoon.

NSRI Melkbosstrand launched the NSRI rescue craft Rotary’s Gift to initiate a search while shoreline patrols were conducted.

NSRI Table Bay launched the NSRI rescue craft DHL Deliverer and Spirit of Day, NSRI Yzerfontein dispatched a quad-bike shoreline search and launched the NSRI rescue craft Spirit of DHL II.

A WC Government Health EMS Metro Rescue drone unit was dispatched conducting aerial infrared search efforts.

The SA Police Services attended and a formal investigation has been opened.

Family and friends, the Blouberg and Melkbosstrand coast watchers and neighbourhood watch groups, including the kite-boarding community, are assisting.

CoCT water rescue network, Police WPDS (Water Policing and Diving Services), Police Sea Borderline Control and CoCT Law Enforcement, are alerted.

DFFE (Environmental officers) at Robben Island are alerted.

MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) and TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) Port of Table Bay Port Control are assisting.

Telkom Maritime Radio Services are continuing to broadcast a marine VHF radio all ships alert.

We are appealing to the local community and the fishing, sailing, private and commercial maritime community, in the area between Blouberg Beach and North West along the West Coast towards Dassen Islands and beyond to keep a sharp look out.

Search grids – taking into account weather, wind and sea currents – indicate the search area to extend out to sea from Eden on the Bay and out to sea in a North West direction between Bloubergstrand and Robben Island and out to sea beyond Bokpunt and past the vicinity between Yzerfontein and Dassen Island.

An accomplished kite-boarder, wearing a wet-suit, Graham remains missing despite the extensive sea, air and shoreline search that continued into the early hours of Monday morning.

All possibilities are being investigated in this ongoing search operation.

Camera footage obtained by local security indicates sighting Graham, on a blue and black kite-board, with a white kite sail with red writing, in a black wet suit, at after 13h00 on Sunday – in the vicinity offshore of Eden on the Bay.