• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer
MyZA

MyZA

News, Directory, Events and Other Stuff

  • Social Media
  • Sport
  • World News
  • Home
  • Submit News
  • Directory
  • Events
  • Stratlec
  • TFSA
  • News
    • APO
    • Today’s Sport News
    • Todays Social Media and Tech Headlines
    • Today’s World News
    • Today’s SA Financial News
  • Contact
You are here: Home / News / Searches for Missing Persons and Surfing Incident

Searches for Missing Persons and Surfing Incident

4 April 2025 by Guest

The NSRI are continuing the search for an unidentified person suspected to may have gone missing in the water off Pearly Beach. A teenager not injured following a minor surfing accident – Port Alfred. An ongoing search for a missing man – West Coast

PEARLY BEACH:

Jean le Roux, NSRI Hermanus coxswain, said:

At 18h07, Thursday, 3 April, NSRI Hermanus, NSRI Agulhas, the SA Police Services and a WC Government Health EMS rescue squad responded to Castle Beach at Pearly Beach following reports of a suspected drowning in progress.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing a man, with a bald head or with light hair, suspected to may have been in difficulty or who appeared to be too deep in the water and then they (eyewitnesses reportedly) could no longer see the man.

NSRI rescue vehicles from NSRI Hermanus and from NSRI Agulhas, towing NSRI rescue craft, NSRI rescue swimmers, Police and a Metro Rescue squad responded.

Police WPDS (Water Policing and Diving Services) were alerted.

2 NSRI rescue craft launched to search in and beyond the surf zone and shoreline search efforts were conducted at Castle Beach and beyond.

Eyewitnesses had already left the scene when rescue services arrived.

Despite an extensive search no signs of the man suspected to have gone missing in the water was located.

There remains no missing persons report opened that may be related to this case.

Gansbaai Police Station are monitoring and at this stage there is no new information to go on.

PORT ALFRED:

Kerryn van der Walt, NSRI Port Alfred duty coxswain, said:

At 15h37, Thursday, 3 April, NSRI Port Alfred duty crew were activated by Multi Security following reports from a Multi Security beach marshal of a person in trouble in the water at East Beach, near to the East Beach Pier.

The NSRI Port Alfred rescue craft, Rescue 11 Alpha, was launched while the NSRI Port Alfred rescue vehicle, NSRI rescue swimmers and Multi Security responded.

On arrival on the scene a 13 year old male was found safely on the beach. He had been surfing when, it appears, he may have collided with East Beach Pier before being assisted from the water by the Multi Security beach marshal and by a bystander Good Samaritan.

With only minor scrapes and bruises the teenager was released into the care of his parents, who we believe are both doctors.

No further assistance was required.

No other incidents were reported in the area of Port Alfred on Thursday.

WEST COAST:

NSRI are appealing to the maritime community – between Cape Town and Langebaan – to keep a sharp lookout for a man who is missing – last known to be in the water somewhere offshore in the vicinity between Koeberg and Grotto Bay.

48 year old David van der Merwe, a local white male, was reported to be in distress offshore of Melkbosstrand on Wednesday, 2 April, late afternoon.

NSRI Melkbosstrand, BBSL (Big Bay Surf Lifeguards), WC Government Health EMS rescue squad drone unit, the SA Police Services, an AGA helicopter (Aerios Global Aviation) dispatched by MRCC – Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, and West Coast coast watchers, conducted extensive search efforts until after midnight but no signs of the missing man were found.

NSRI Table Bay, NSRI Yzerfontein, NSRI Mykonos, Police WPDS (Water Policing and Diving Services), Police Sea Borderline Control, CoCT (City of Cape Town) Law Enforcement and DFFE (Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment) are informed. An all ships alert was posted by Telkom Maritime Radio Services.

We are appealing to the maritime community along the West Coast to keep a sharp lookout.

Thoughts are with the family of the missing man in this difficult time.

Share this:

  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon
Category: NewsTag: NSRI

If you feel strongly about this article then feel free to send MyZA a ‘Letter to the Editor’ using the submission form below:


Letter to the Editor

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
If this is in response to an article please include that article title here or as the lead in for the first paragraph of your Letter below.

Separate tags with commas

Localise your letter by naming the city your words are about. Add relevant words describing your subject. Single comma separated words of no more than 5
Your Name(Required)
Your Name will be linked to the website below.
Your personal, business or social media web site
Choose NO to not set up a user account on MyZA. User Accounts will allow you to submit letters under your own Author Name

3 Latest Letters to the Editor:

  • Older Persons Grants Land Today — No Need to Queue at Dawn

    Dear Editor, Older Persons grants are paid today, 30 October, under SASSA’s revised November payment schedule — with disability grants on Monday 2 November, children’s grants on Tuesday 3 November, and grants under review on Thursday 5 November. Two things every beneficiary should know. First, grant money does not expire on payment day. It stays…

    30 October 2026
  • November Grants Pay Early – No Need to Queue at Dawn

    Dear Editor, I run SAGrant (sagrant.co.za), a free resource helping South Africans navigate SASSA grants. November grants pay earlier than usual. Older Persons grants are paid on Friday 30 October, Disability grants on 2 November, and Child Support and other grants on 3 November. Grants still under review are paid on 5 November. The money…

    27 October 2026
  • NSFAS 2027 applications close on 31 October — SASSA households, apply now

    Dear Editor, I run SAGrant (sagrant.co.za), a free resource helping South Africans navigate SASSA grants. NSFAS applications for the 2027 academic year close on Friday 31 October 2026, and no extension is expected. If your household receives a SASSA grant, your child already passes the NSFAS financial eligibility test — but they still have to…

    25 October 2026

About Guest

Previous Post:Work continues to solve Matatiela rape case 
Next Post:Summary of Premier Alan Winde’s 2025 Budget Vote Speech

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Frosty Snazz

    27 August 2026 at 4:40 am

    Nauru: You have two cows. They probably weigh less than you.

  2. murder cherry

    25 August 2026 at 10:54 pm

    Y\’know, I could have sworn South Africa had apartheid.

    Is this the Mandela Effect?

Copyright © 2026 · MyZA · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Stratlec Online