Deadly Start To 2026: KZN Beach Tragedy Leaves Two Dead, Two Missing

A New Year’s Day outing turned tragic after five people were swept out to sea at Pennington main beach on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast.

The incident occurred on the evening of Thursday, 1 January 2026. According to IPSS Medical Rescue spokesperson Samantha Meyrick, one person was successfully rescued and is in a stable condition.

“One was confirmed dead, his body recovered earlier. A second body washed ashore about 100m from where the bathers entered the water,” Meyrick said.

She added that one person was saved by lifeguards, while the remaining two are still missing and are presumed dead.

“Lifeguards conducted search operations in the water, while IPSS Medical Rescue and other emergency services remained on standby to provide medical support,” Meyrick said.

Police and the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) are expected to continue search operations for the missing beachgoers on Friday.

Emergency Crews Continue Search for Missing Beach Goers

Rescue teams worked through challenging conditions as emergency services coordinated efforts at the popular beach.

Authorities have not yet released the identities of the victims. Beach safety warnings remain in place as rough sea conditions continue along parts of the KZN coastline.

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In a separate incident, police in the Capricorn District are investigating an inquest case following the discovery of the body of a 36-year-old female South African National Defence Force (SANDF) member in a river stream in Polokwane.

The body was found on New Year’s Day, 1 January 2026, at around 11am.

Police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said the incident began earlier that morning.

“The report received by the police is that this morning at around 04:00, the deceased, together with two other occupants of the car (Renault Triber), were swept by heavy flowing water after the car got stuck under the bridge along Grobler Street,” Ledwaba said.

“It is further reported that the other two occupants, including the driver, managed to grab reeds and exit the river, but the deceased unfortunately did not survive the catastrophic incident. The search was conducted by the divers, and the body was found about 2,5 kilometers from the initial scene and retrieved from the river,” he added.

Ledwaba confirmed that the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.

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