Camps Bay beach visit turns tragic
Khanyisile Njatyela, 18, is still missing after he was caught in a rip current while enjoying the waves at Camps Bay beach.[Video]
|||Cape Town - An outing to the beach to enjoy Cape Town’s warm weather this weekend turned to tragedy for a group of friends.
Khanyisile Njatyela, 18, visited Camps Bay beach with 23 of his classmates from Phoenix High in Manenberg.
But the enjoyable Saturday took a tragic turn after the teen from Thambo Village was caught in a rip current while enjoying the waves.
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) had warned earlier the weekend that strong rip currents would be brought on by the New Moon Spring Tide, and had cautioned swimmers and anglers.
By late on Sunday afternoon, the search for Khanyisile was called off by police and the NSRI due to poor visibility in the water.
At the teenager’s home, relatives gathered to wait anxiously for news.
His distraught mother, who asked not to be identified, says her son’s body had still not been found by late Sunday afternoon.
“All know is they are looking for my son, I do not want to say anything more,” she said.
The Grade 10 pupil’s uncle, who spoke on the family’s behalf and didn’t want to be identified either, says the children had planned the outing on Saturday.
“We are traumatised, we couldn’t sleep last night,” he told the Daily Voice.
“He just disappeared... if we at least just had his body, the pain will be much less.
“This trip was organised by all of his classmates together.”
NSRI station commander Bruce Davidson said they carried out an extensive search for the teenager.
Davidson said: “It appears the group of 23 teenagers and young adults from Manenberg had arrived at Camps Bay together.
“While some were swimming in the surf, an 18-year-old male appeared to get into difficulty and disappeared beneath the surf.
“It is suspected he was caught in a rip current.
“Despite an extensive air, sea and shore search, there was no sign of the missing teenager, who is presumed to have drowned.
“As part of an ongoing search, rescue swimmers conducted line searches and free-diving in the surf zone, while police divers conducted a scuba dive.”
Richard Bosman, City of Cape Town executive director for safety and security, confirms the search was called off due to poor visibility.
Bosman says: “A search was conducted [on Saturday] but was called off in the afternoon, [on Sunday] morning the search resumed by divers but was called off again due to poor water visibility.”
Daily Voice