CAPE TOWN – No sign has been found of a 19-year-old teenager who went missing in the surf at Monwabisi Beach, Cape Town on Sunday afternoon, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said.

NSRI Strandfontein duty crew were activated at about 4.30pm following reports of a man missing in the surf at Monwabisi Beach, NSRI Strandfontein station commander Vaughn Seconds said.

The sea rescue craft Grand West CSI and the Discovery Rescue Runner, and the NSRI rescue vehicle with NSRI rescue swimmers responded to the scene. Cape Town fire and rescue services and a fire and rescue services dive unit, an SA Police Service dive unit, and law enforcement also responded, he said.

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The NSRI ASR (airborne sea rescue) and Western Cape government health emergency medical services (EMS) were placed on alert.

“On arrival on the scene an off-duty lifeguard who had swum out to attempt to find the missing man in the surf was taken on board our sea rescue craft and an extensive sea and shoreline search in fading light revealed no sign of a 19-year-old Khayelitsha man, and a police dive unit will continue with an ongoing search and recovery operation that will be assisted by Cape Town fire and rescue services dive unit,” Seconds said.

Today’s winter training at Monwabisi Beach pic.twitter.com/GUeuQUdACS

— Monwabisi Lifesaving (@MonwabisiSurf) May 14, 2017

Police had opened an investigation. The teenager reportedly went missing in the surf while swimming with friends. Police were assisting family members, he said.

African News Agency