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Body recovered as search continues for second man after Strand Beach tragedy

PrimeTime News Desk Published 4 September 2026

3 min read

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A body washed ashore at Strand Beach in the Western Cape on Thursday morning, 3 September 2026, one day after two men disappeared in the surf while attempting to rescue a colleague. The recovered body is believed to be that of the 39-year-old man from Mfuleni, while police divers continue searching for the second missing man, a 22-year-old from Belhar.

The incident occurred around 1:43 pm on Wednesday, 2 September 2026, near the Lourens River mouth in the Helderberg Marine Protected Area. A group of men from a local business were spending a day off at Strand Beach when one of them got into difficulty in the water. Two of his colleagues entered the sea to assist him. Both were caught in rip currents and disappeared in the surf zone.

A local surfer intervened and brought the original man in distress safely to shore. Paramedics treated him at the scene, and he was released without needing further medical care.

National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Gordons Bay crews responded immediately after receiving reports of a drowning in progress. The alert came via an NSRI crewman’s family member who works at a nearby coffee shop. Rescue craft, including Zelda and Spirit of Surfski, were launched. A multi-agency operation followed, involving NSRI rescue swimmers and boats, Water Policing and Diving Services (WPDS) police divers, Western Cape Government Health EMS teams and drones, Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services, Law Enforcement’s Marine Unit, and the EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter. Extensive searches covered the air, sea, and shoreline, including free-dive efforts in the surf zone, but no sign of the two missing men was found on Wednesday.

On Thursday morning, NSRI Gordons Bay was alerted to reports of a body discovered on Strand Beach in the Helderberg Protected Marine Area near the Lourens River. Police, WPDS divers, Western Cape Government Health EMS, and NSRI Gordons Bay crew responded. Police divers, assisted by NSRI and EMS paramedics, located and recovered the body of an adult male. He was declared deceased at the scene. The body was handed over to police and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services.

Authorities believe the recovered body is that of the 39-year-old man from Mfuleni (Blue Downs). Formal identification by his family is under way in cooperation with police and Forensic Pathology Services. An inquest docket has been opened by police. Somerset West police confirmed they attended the scene where a body of an unknown male washed out at the shore around 08:22 am on Thursday.

WPDS police divers remain on scene and are continuing the search for the 22-year-old man from Belhar. Families of both men are being assisted as the recovery operation continues.

NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon confirmed the sequence of events and the ongoing efforts. Condolences have been conveyed to the family of the man whose body was recovered. The NSRI stated that its thoughts remain with the families, friends, and colleagues affected by the incident.

The two missing men had entered the water specifically to help their colleague who was in difficulty. Both were then swept out by the rip currents and vanished in the surf. No further details on the men’s identities beyond ages and places of residence have been released. The search for the second man continues.