A search operation is set to resume at first light Friday morning for three individuals missing after a devastating drowning incident at Pennington Beach on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast. The incident, which occurred late Thursday afternoon, saw five people swept out to sea.
According to IPSS Medical Rescue spokesperson Samantha Meyrick, emergency services received a call just after 6:00 p.m. reporting that five people had been washed out. Upon arrival, lifeguards had already successfully rescued one person, who was evaluated by paramedics and found to be in a stable condition.
A subsequent search, conducted by lifeguards and the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), led to the recovery of one body. The search for the remaining three missing persons was called off at nightfall due to the inherent dangers and difficulties of operating in the rough surf after dark.
Meyrick described the conditions at the time of the incident as hazardous. “It has been a fairly warm day on the coast today, but you know, it’s very windy. The surf was very rough,” she stated. She also noted the timing compounded the danger, as the incident occurred late in the day, nearing or after the end of the lifeguards’ shift.
The spokesperson outlined the significant challenges faced by rescue teams, particularly on this stretch of coastline. She explained that resources in the area are not as extensive as in larger urban beaches, and even a large team would struggle with five victims in rough surf.
When asked about the dangers of the coastline, Meyrick emphasized that any beach can be hazardous and reiterated the critical importance of swimming only at protected beaches where lifeguards are on duty. “The lifeguards are there for a reason… they are trained to save lives and keep people safe,” she said.
She strongly advised the public against entering the water to attempt a rescue unless they are trained lifeguards. The best action for bystanders, she said, is to immediately call for help from the NSRI, lifeguards, or ambulance services, and to stay on scene to provide rescuers with the last known location of those in difficulty.
Meyrick confirmed that support services, including the South African Police Service (SAPS), community policing forums, and disaster management, were on scene to assist the affected families. The procedure for the ongoing search has been explained to them.
With schools still closed and the holiday season ongoing, Meyrick’s advice to beachgoers was unequivocal: always swim at protected beaches where lifeguards can demarcate safe swimming areas. For those who see people swimming in dangerous or unprotected areas, she recommended alerting the nearest lifeguards, who will advise them to move to a safer location.
The search for the three missing persons continues.