Brit tourist, 47, drowns after ‘getting into difficulty’ while swimming at remote beach in South Africa
A BRIT holidaymaker was pulled dead from the sea off a remote South African beach after rescuers raced to save him.
The 47-year-old had been swimming off the Cape Vidal nature reserve beach on the Indian Ocean coast on Sunday when he was spotted struggling to stay afloat.
Wildlife rangers spotted the unnamed Brit getting into difficulties before alerting the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), local media reports.
Rescuers say he had been on an organised tour to the reserve when he swam out to sea and couldn’t get back.
Rescue spokesperson Craig Lambinon said: “An NSRI rescue vehicle, carrying NSRI rescue swimmers, and towing an NSRI rescue craft, responded and joined Ezemvelo Wildlife rangers on the scene.
“A man, aged 47, a British tourist, was recovered from the surf zone by NSRI rescue swimmers.
“Sadly the man was found to be deceased.
“The body of the man was taken into the care of Police and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services.”
They added: “It appears that while on an arranged tour to Cape Vidal Nature Reserve the man reportedly went for a swim at the beach where he was observed to be in difficulties in the surf zone and the alarm was raised.”
Police are investigating the death ahead of an inquest.
It comes weeks after a Brit tourist drowned while swimming at a Spanish beach while the red flag was raised.
Lifeguards are understood to have warned tourists not to go in the sea at Racó beach in Cullera due to strong currents.
But a British man, 77, was pulled out of the water unresponsive.
Paramedics rushed to the scene on Tuesday and performed CPR for 30 minutes but were unable to save him.
Two other swimmers have drowned this summer in the Spanish tourist hotspot while another two have been rescued.