Young Man Drowns At Table Mountain Dam As Rescue Teams Launch Urgent Search

A man has died following what is believed to be a drowning incident at De Villiers Dam on Table Mountain.

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said it was alerted by the City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services Control Room after reports of a drowning in progress at the dam near Constantia Nek on Sunday. Multiple emergency services were dispatched to the scene, including the South African Police Service (SAPS) and Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) rangers.

Rescue Swimmers Search Dam After Man Goes Missing At Table Mountain

NSRI Hout Bay coxswain Chris Westcott said rescue swimmers immediately began searching the dam upon arrival.

“On arrival on the scene, NSRI rescue swimmers initiated a search in De Villiers Dam for a 20-year-old male from Plumstead, whose friends on the scene indicated where he had gone missing in the dam, reportedly while swimming in shallow water,” Westcott said.

He added that SAPS police divers later took over the operation.

Body Recovered as Police Open Inquest

“Police divers took over the search efforts and located and recovered the body of the man from underwater. Sadly, the man was declared deceased by paramedics. The body of the man was taken into the care of the Police and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services,” Westcott said.

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Police have since opened an inquest docket to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.

“Condolences are conveyed to the family and friends of the deceased man. The cooperation and the swift response of TMNP rangers, NSRI Hout Bay rescue swimmers, Police and the emergency services to this remote location is commended,” he said.