The body of the fourth teenager who drowned at Three Anchor Bay at the weekend has been retrieved.
A group of teenagers had gone for a swim at Rocklands beach on Sunday when some of them ran into trouble in a rip current.
A 15-year-old who attempted to save his friends – aged 15, 16, and 18 – got into difficulty himself and was declared dead after extensive CPR attempts. His body was discovered by surfers.
NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said: "On Wednesday morning, a police diving unit recovered the body of an 18-year-old male at Rocklands beach.
"Police have opened an inquest docket. Family members have had an opportunity to pay their respects. .
"Condolences are conveyed to the families of all four swimmers. All swimmers have now been accounted for.
A refugee father, whose son was the last of the four youths whose body was discovered, saw his son’s body wash up on the rocks on Tuesday, but police divers were unable to retrieve the body due to the rough seas.
Video: Armand Hough/African News Agency (ANA)
Felicien Nzisabira said he was at church when he heard about the drowning of his son and his three friends.
Within an hour of having seen his 18-year-old son Wamungu Damour’s body washed up on the rocks, Nzisabira said: “I’ve been here from 7am.
“We saw the body about 10.30am. He was lying on the beach rocks. The others were found yesterday and taken out.”
Meanwhile, on Tuesday afternoon, a 9-year-old boy drowned at Kleinmond in the Overberg region after a group of children had been swimming in the lagoon.
The local boy's friends raised the alarm after he went missing in the water.