A man presumed to have drowned at Ballito beach’s Thompson’s Bay is still missing after reportedly getting caught in the strong rip currents.
A search and rescue mission is currently ongoing.
BALLITO BEACH DROWNING: MAN STILL MISSING
On TikTok, several clips of a helicopter circling Ballito’s Thompson’s Bay have received hundreds of thousands of views.
The beach boasts a tourist attraction known as the “hole in the wall”.
According to the National Search and Rescue Institute (NSRI), a 40-year-old man and his 13-year-old nephew were caught in rip currents while swimming at the Ballito beach last Friday morning. While another swimmer rescued the teen, the man – who is from Mpumalanga – disappeared under the water.
Commenting on a viral video, TikTok user Halima S posted: “My cousin Mohammed Zaheer drowned there. His body has not been found as yet. Please continue to remember your family in your prayers.”
@macdelina.m Hope it wasn’t serious…#ballio #wholeinthewall #thompsonsbay ♬ outro – luv3audios
@macdelina.m Replying to @Halima S our prayers are with you and your family during this time🤍🕊️#thompsonsbay #holeinthewall #ballito ♬ Save My Soul – noahrinker
KZN BEACH FATALITIES
Since the start of the New Year, several fatalities have been reported by authorities.
At Pennington Beach on KwaZulu-Natal’s South Coast, seven people were swept away during a rip current. While one person was rescued, three bodies were found dead. Another three remain missing.
According to the NSRI, search and recovery operations are still active for missing swimmers at beaches in Durban, Ballito, Hibberdene, and Umkomaas.
