A search is under way for a 17-year-old boy who went missing at a beach in northern Durban on Wednesday.
Lifesaving South Africa (LSA) says eThekwini lifeguards were alerted to an incident near the tidal pool at Umdloti, where several bathers got into difficulty. Lifeguards managed to rescue three people from the water.
LSA president Dhaya Sewduth said reports later emerged that a teenage boy was still unaccounted for, prompting an extensive search operation.
Sewduth explained that the area where the incident occurred is not a designated bathing beach and does not have bathing beacons or lifeguards permanently on duty. He described the incident as unfortunate, given the conditions.
The search for the missing teen is expected to resume on Thursday morning.
Sewduth also commended the efforts of both volunteer lifesavers and professional lifeguards who have been on duty since the weekend and through the public holiday on 16 December.
“Despite the thousands of bathers at popular beaches, there was not a single drowning incident,” he said.