Cape Town - The body of an unknown man spotted by a passer-by was retrieved by rescue divers along the Sea Point Promenade on Sunday.
Police, City Fire and Rescue, Emergency Medical Services and law enforcement helped to retrieve the body washed up on the rocks near the putt-putt course.
The Cape Argus understands the body was missing an arm and a leg, and half the head was severed.
Sea Point ward councillor Nicola Jowell said that just before midday, a report was received of a person seen floating in the waves off the Promenade in Mouille Point.
“All services were deployed to the scene. The seas were very rough at this stage and the NSRI was unable to launch their recovery boat.
“The SAPS deployed two divers along with safety ropes to retrieve the body, which has now been completed.
“The body is that of a middle-aged adult male and his identity is not yet known, as are the circumstances that led to his unfortunate drowning. My condolences to any family and friends of the deceased man,” Jowell said.
Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said Sea Point police registered an inquest.
“The SAPS Diving Unit retrieved the body from the sea. A post-mortem will be conducted to determine the cause of death,” Van Wyk said.
Meanwhile, a 32-year-old hiker from Johannesburg died after separating from his 11-person group along the Otter Trail at the Bloukrans River Mouth crossing in Plettenberg Bay last Wednesday.
According to the NSRI, when the 10 hikers reached the crossing, swollen from heavy rains, they could not locate the man.
“During their initial search they noticed the missing man’s backpack afloat on the river, adrift and caught in among the rocky shoreline, in the direction of the river mouth.
“They suspected that he may have tried to cross the river and they raised the alarm reporting the man to be missing, and that he was suspected to have been swept down river or out of the river mouth.”
NSRI Oyster Bay station commander Lodewyk van Rensburg said Duran de Villiers, a local private helicopter and drone pilot, volunteered his EC120 helicopter to assist in the search at the request of NSRI Plettenberg Bay.
“The 10 hikers were accommodated at a cabin and we believe they have discontinued the hike.
“Not finding any signs of the missing man, Duran landed at the LZ where he then launched a drone (from the gravel road) and during the drone search the body of the man was located offshore of the Bloukrans River Mouth.
“Duran, and an NSRI rescue swimmer, joined SANParks rangers at the river mouth where Duran waded into the water and was able to secure the body of the man to the shoreline. Sadly the man was declared deceased.
“The body of the man was taken into the care of the SAPS and Police Search and Rescue divers, and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services. Police have opened an inquest docket,” said Van Rensburg.
sibuliso.duba@inl.co.za