Eight-year-old girl found alone on False Bay beach as dad goes missing while swimming
CoCT lifeguards had initiated a search and NSRI Strandfontein dispatched a sea rescue vehicle and a rescue helicopter.
False Bay beach. Image: NSRI website.
A little girl was found alone in her father’s car after he went swimming in the False Bay surf on Sunday and never returned.
According to Vaughn Seconds, National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Strandfontein station commander, the NSRI Strandfontein duty crew was activated at around 12.14pm following reports from City of Cape Town (CoCT) lifeguards at Monwabisi on the False Bay coast of a man from Strandfontein who had gone missing in the surf while swimming.
CoCT lifeguards had initiated a search and NSRI Strandfontein dispatched a sea rescue vehicle and a rescue helicopter.
The Western Cape government health emergency medical services, CoCT fire and rescue services and its fire dive unit, law enforcement marine unit, the SA Police Services and a police dive unit responded to join CoCT lifeguards who were engaged in an extensive search for the missing man.
“Despite an extensive sea, air and shoreline search, no sign of the man has been found,” Seconds said.
A police dive unit has been tasked to continue in an ongoing search operation and police are investigating.
“The man’s daughter, believed to be aged eight, was located at their vehicle in the parking area and the child has been taken into the care of police.”
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