Diver lost exiting Cape Town beach - South Africa

[DandyDon]

Diver missing at sea off Cape Town beach

While exiting the water after a dive in rough sea conditions the missing man’s brother was able to get out of the surf onto rocks but his brother did not.

Despite an extensive sea, air, and shoreline search no sign has been found of a man who went missing in rough sea after a dive at Bantry Bay on Cape Town’s Atlantic seaboard on Sunday, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said.

NSRI Bakoven deputy station commander Luke van Riet said duty crew were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) at about 11.20am following reports of a diver missing following a dive with his brother at Bantry Bay.

It appeared that while the brothers were exiting the water after a dive in rough sea conditions the missing man’s brother was able to get out of the surf onto rocks but his brother, a 32-year-old man from Grassy Park, went missing and bystanders raised the alarm, he said.

The sea rescue craft Rotarian Schipper, nearby at Clifton Beach on a routine training operation at the time, immediately diverted to respond to the scene and a search operation commenced.

NSRI Bakoven rescue swimmers, the Cape Town fire and rescue services dive unit, the Western Cape government health EMS rescue squad, Life Healthcare response paramedics, City of Cape Town law enforcement, and the South African Police Service (SAPS) and a police dive unit responded.

“An extensive search revealed no sign of the missing man and the EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter responded to assist in the search, but despite the extensive sea, air, and shoreline search operation no sign of the man has been found. A police dive unit will continue with an ongoing search operation. Family are being assisted by police and police have opened an investigation,” Van Riet said.

 

[ajduplessis]

Sad. I don't understand why anybody would dive in rough sea especially near rocks. The more I think about this incident the more lobster or abalone comes to mind.

 

[tridacna]

Bantry Bay? I used to live 5 mins from there and would never dive it. Nothing to see and so dangerous getting in/out. Either kreef or perlemoen - no question. Not too many rec divers from GP either.

 

[Dive Bug Bit Me]

Thing is that this is sold as an easy shore entry dive. Usually it is, however the exit can be treacherous. It’s easy to get entangled in kelp and properly smashed by the waves. It’s advertised as a beach entry, but really you are scrambling over boulders the size of a cat or dog while the waves break on you.

I had a particularly harrowing adventure at this site where I went into an ocean that looked like a mirror. When I surfaced the waves were easily five or six feet. I got proper smashed and needed a little luck to get out. Probably my single most dangerous experience while diving. I’ve never been back.

Most weekends the road is packed with scuba divers and their vehicles. All diving the area.

I drive past this site every day. The morning after this person was lost, I actually remarked to my daughter that these were some of the roughest waves we’ve seen in a while.

 

[tridacna]

Thing is that this is sold as an easy shore entry dive. Usually it is, however the exit can be treacherous. It’s easy to get entangled in kelp and properly smashed by the waves. It’s advertised as a beach entry, but really you are scrambling over boulders the size of a cat or dog while the waves break on you.

I had a particularly harrowing adventure at this site where I went into an ocean that looked like a mirror. When I surfaced the waves were easily five or six feet. I got proper smashed and needed a little luck to get out. Probably my single most dangerous experience while diving. I’ve never been back.

Most weekends the road is packed with scuba divers and their vehicles. All diving the area.

I drive past this site every day. The morning after this person was lost, I actually remarked to my daughter that these were some of the roughest waves we’ve seen in a while.

Wow. I started diving in 76. Left SA in 89. I never saw a diver there in my 13 years of diving in CT. Hard to believe that BB has become so popular. Where do they park? I tried it only once and had the same kak experience trying to exit. Those rocks are absolutely treacherous. I lost a fin and a mask that cost a lot of money when I was a poor Ikey. Anywhere near Oudekraal was always a better bet.

 

[DandyDon]

Missing Grassy Park diver's body found a week later | Cape Times