Fatal drowning at Great Brak River mouth near Mossel Bay

At 14h37, Sunday, 12 February, NSRI Mossel Bay duty crew were activated following reports from the Police Dive Unit of a drowning in progress at De Vette Mossel, near to the Great Brak River Mouth.

NSRI duty crew were at the NSRI Mossel Bay rescue station at the time.

The NSRI rescue craft St Blaize Rescuer was launched while NSRI rescue swimmers, By Grace ambulance services, Mossel Bay Fire and Rescue Services and SA Police Services responded directly to the scene.

On arrival on the scene we found that a 50 year old man, from Herolds Bay, had been recovered from the water and bystander CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) efforts were in progress.

NSRI medics assisted in CPR efforts and were joined by paramedics.

After all efforts to resuscitate the man were exhausted sadly he was declared deceased.

The body of the man has been taken into the care of Police and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services.

Police have opened an inquest docket.

Condolences are conveyed to the family of the deceased man.

While spending a day at the beach it appears that the man had launched into the surf to assist their son who may have been caught in a rip current. The son was able to get out of the water but his dad may then have been caught in a rip current. The man’s wife went into the surf to try to assist her husband. We believe that a bystander, a local fisherman, had assisted the wife to recover the man to the beach where CPR was commenced.