Man swept off rocks, missing

Edward Roussow, NSRI Gordons Bay duty coxswain, said: 'On Monday 28th January at 13h40, NSRI Gordons Bay volunteers were called out following reports of a drowning in progress at the Whale Watching Point near Gordons Bay.'Our NSRI Gordons Bay duty crew launched SPIRIT OF SUFSKI and INGE and our sea rescue vehicle responded. The WC Government Health EMS, SA Police Services, Cape Town Traffic Services, Gordons Bay Security and a Police Dive Unit also responded.'On arrival on-scene a search commenced for a 30 year old man who had, according to his colleagues, been swept off a rock by waves and disappeared under water almost immediately.'Information from the missing mans colleagues is that he is a construction worker on a Gordons Bay building site who had joined colleagues at lunch time. A wave swept him off the rocks. Efforts by his colleagues to rescue him, by throwing ropes in the direction of where he had entered the water, were unsuccessful.'An extensive sea and shore search, including a dive search by Police divers using our sea rescue craft JACK RILEY as a dive platform, has revealed no sign of the missing man and a Police Dive Unit will resume the search tomorrow.'It is not clear at this stage where the man resides or where he is from and Police are investigating and have opened an inquest docket.'The name of the man has not been released.' Spirit of Surfski.