Law Enforcement and the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) confirmed a woman had drowned after her body was found floating at Mnandi Beach on Sunday.
The woman, aged 34, is believed to have visited the popular beach along Swartklip Road with eight others and was apparently caught in the surf when she went missing just before 7 am.
Law Enforcement spokesman, Wayne Dyason, says officers were placed on high alert after reports of a drowning incident was called in.
“The incident happened before 7 am. The woman was one of nine people from Samora Machel who visited the beach on Sunday.
“She was in the surf when she went missing and her body was later seen floating in the surf and retrieved by NSRI,” Dyason said.
NSRI Strandfontein station commander, Vaughn Seconds, says crew members responded to the incident at 7.30am.
Attempts to resuscitate the woman were unsuccessful and she was declared dead at the scene.
“NSRI Station 16 Strandfontein duty crew were activated at 7.30am by the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) following reports of a drowning in progress at Mnandi Beach.
“On arrival on the scene, NSRI rescue swimmers recovered an adult female, aged 34, from Philippi, from the surf line.
“The body was recovered to the beach where CPR [cardiopulmonary resuscitation] efforts were commenced, but after all efforts were exhausted, sadly the female was declared deceased,” Seconds said.