At 16h15 on Sunday the 2nd of November, NSRI Yzerfontein deputy station commander Willem Lubbe, while walking on the beach with his wife, noticed a group of people appearing to be distressed on the beach near to Strand Kombuis.Willem approached the group who suggested that their brother was missing in the surf but shortly thereafter they spotted him in the water swimming and with all in order Willem and his wife continued on their beach walk.Then at 16h30, NSRI Yzerfontein volunteer sea rescue duty crew were activated following reports of a drowning in progress at Yzerfontein Beach.Willem quickly returned to the site where the same group of people confirmed that the person they had seen swimming was mistakenly thought to be their brother but that it was a case of mistaken identity and that in fact their brother was now confirmed to be missing in the surf after last been seen swimming in the surf some 20 minutes earlier.NSRI Yzerfontein volunteer sea rescue duty crew launched our sea rescue craft SPIRIT OF IFFLEY and shore crew responded to the scene where Willem confirmed that a 28 year old male from Darling had disappeared in the surf while swimming earlier and according to family members he was missing.The SA Police Services and WC Government Health EMS and their EMS rescue squad responded to assist NSRI in the search.Despite an extensive sea and shore search no sign of the missing man has been found and a Police Dive Unit was activated and conducted a preliminary free dive search at last light and the Police Dive Unit has taken over with an ongoing search operation.It appears that while the man was swimming he disappeared beneath the surf from unknown causes.Police have opened an investigation and the Police Dive Unit will continue in an ongoing search operation.NSRI Yzerfontein have volunteered to assist in the search by conducting a sweeping search along the beach at first light.
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