Two Grade 11 pupils still missing at sea after swim at East London beach

Two Grade 11 pupils who took a dip in the sea before a choir competition over the weekend had yet to be found on Monday.

The teenagers, both 18, were on a school tour and went missing in the surf at Eastern Beach in East London on Sunday morning, according to the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI).

Sinethemba Jacobs and Olwethu Makenese, from Ekuphumleni Secondary School, had wanted to cool down in the water before taking part in the final round of the OR Tambo Provincial Choral Music Competition, according to Netwerk24.

Thirty choirs competed for the title at the City Hall in East London.

Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Thembinkosi Kinana said on Monday that the search for the boys continued.

NSRI East London deputy station commander Geoff McGregor said three teenagers had got into difficulty in the surf.

“One teenager was rescued by surfers and he has been transported to hospital by EMS [emergency medical services] ambulance in a stable condition for observation for non-fatal drowning symptoms,” McGregor said.

Rescuers had conducted an extensive sea and shoreline search for the missing teens, but to no avail.

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