Jake Manten, NSRI Vaal Dam Station Commander, said:
At 18h00 on Saturday, 21 March, NSRI Vaal Dam duty crew were activated following reports of a drowning in progress at Oranjeville approximately 33 kilometers from our NSRI rescue base.
The sea rescue craft Harvey’s Fiberglass was towed to the scene using our sea rescue vehicle, and on arrival on the scene, we launched to search for a 22 year old man. He had reportedly gone missing in the dam when he and a family member, aged in his 30’s, fell off a jet-ski which then drifted away from them in the wind.
They had tried to swim towards the shore and despite other family members on the shore launching paddle craft to affect a rescue only the one man was rescued and brought ashore. He was not injured.
Despite an extensive search late into the night no sign of the missing man, believed to be from Pretoria, was found.
On Sunday, 22 March, NSRI Vaal Dam launched our sea rescue craft to support the SA Police Services and a Police Dive Unit conducting ongoing search efforts. A Fidelity helicopter joined the search.
Despite the ongoing shoreline, air and water search efforts no sign of the missing man has been found and Police are investigating. Police divers will continue an ongoing search.
Thoughts are with the family and friends of the missing man in this difficult time
TO REPORT A SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY DIAL 112 FROM A CELLPHONE.
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