A rescue crew responding to reports of a drowning in progress at Monwabisi Beach on Monday found no one in difficulty, and their search seemed to have reached a dead end. Then, as the NSRI rescue craft turned for home, the crew spotted three children caught in rip currents just off the beach, and a routine return to base became a lifesaving rescue.
At 16h34 on Monday, 21 September 2026, NSRI Strandfontein duty crew were activated following reports of a drowning in progress at Monwabisi Beach, False Bay, Cape Town.
NSRI rescue swimmers responded directly to the scene while NSRI crew launched the NSRI rescue craft Rotarian Wares at the NSRI auxiliary satellite station at Monwabisi.
The City of Cape Town (CoCT) water rescue network was alerted. The SA Police Service, the WC Government Health EMS, Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service and CoCT Law Enforcement also responded.
Unconfirmed reports suggested that a drowning incident had occurred at Monwabisi Beach about half an hour earlier. Efforts were deployed to locate where at Monwabisi the incident was happening, but nothing could be found and the eyewitness who raised the alarm could not be reached.
During a search of the area, bystanders came forward and indicated that a female who had been in difficulty, appearing to be caught in rip currents, had been assisted safely out of the water by unidentified Good Samaritans, and that the casualty had since left the beach.
Finding no one in distress or requiring medical assistance, the call was cancelled, and rescue resources began returning to base.
As our NSRI rescue craft was returning to shore, our NSRI crew noticed three children swimming nearby in shallow surf. They appeared to be caught in rip currents, being swept off their feet and out to sea.
Our NSRI rescue craft diverted to their position, and she was able to recover all three local children: two males, ages 10 and 11, and a female, age 13.
They were brought to shore safely, uninjured, and taken into the care of their parents. No further assistance was required.
It still cannot be confirmed what the original incident responded to earlier involved, but we are grateful that our NSRI crew, emergency services, and the NSRI rescue craft were on hand when the three children got into difficulty, by chance preventing a possible drowning.
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