A 20-year-old man from Plumstead drowned on Sunday, February 1, at De Villiers Dam, Constantia Nek.
According to the National Sea Rescue Institute’s (NSRI) coxswain, Chris Westcott, they were alerted around 12.45pm by Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services Control following reports of a drowning incident at De Villiers Dam.
NSRI Hout Bay rescue swimmers, Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services rescue divers, the South African Police Services, Western Cape Government Health, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) rescue squad, an EMS Metro Rescue Drone Unit, and Table Mountain National Park rangers (TMNP) responded.
“On arrival on the scene, NSRI rescue swimmers initiated a search in De Villiers Dam for a 20-year-old male, from Plumstead, whose friends on the scene indicated where he had gone missing in the dam, reportedly while swimming in shallow water,” said Mr Westcott.
Mr Westcott said that police divers took over the search efforts and located and recovered the body of the man from underwater.
“Sadly, the man was declared dead by paramedics,” he said.
Mr Westcott said the body of the man was taken into the care of the police and the Government Health Forensic Pathology Services.
South African National (SAN) Parks spokesperson, JP Louw, said SANParks rangers responded and assisted emergency services after receiving reports of a swimmer who failed to resurface.
“SANParks extends its sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased,” he said.
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