Probe as infant’s body washes up on Clifton beach

Anyone with information that can assist police following the discovery of the body of an infant found washed up on Clifton beach on Saturday has been urged to contact authorities.

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said its Emergency Operations Centre was alerted by a member of the public after 11am to an infant washed up on Clifton 3rd Beach.

NSRI Bakoven, a Clifton Surf lifeguard, Law Enforcement, Community Medics, police, EMS and others responded to the scene.

“On arrival on the scene, the unidentified decomposed body of an infant was secured on the beach for police detectives before being taken into the care of police and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services.

“Police have opened an inquest docket and are investigating.

“NSRI commends the member of the public for raising the alarm and the swift response, care and compassion of all emergency services that responded.”

In an incident on Friday, NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew were activated following reports received through a community group of a drowning in progress at Stilbaai, between Robberg

Nature Reserve and Kranshoek, near Plettenberg Bay.

“A Kranshoek man had reached a residence above the cliffs of a popular hiking trail and the popular fishing coastline, where he reported that his friend, aged 22, also from Kranshoek, had been swept off rocks by a wave at Stilbaai, while they were on the shoreline, and he was in peril in the water.”

“The man reported that he had tried to save his friend, but after all attempts to save his friend and with no cell signal at the remote location, he had made the difficult decision to run for help,” the NSRI said. Covering a significant distance, he reached a farm residence above the cliffs where he appealed to the residents to raise the alarm.

An extensive sea, air and shoreline search has since revealed no signs of the missing man.

“SAPS WPDS (Water Policing and Diving Services) are continuing in an ongoing search and police are investigating the circumstances of the incident.”

Earlier, NSRI Plettenberg Bay medics and NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew, as well as SANParks rangers, responded to Robberg Nature Reserve – to The Gap –where a 28-year-old Mossel Bay woman had suffered an injury while hiking.

Anyone with information that can assist police following the discovery the infant’s body can contact Camps Bay police station or call 08600 10111 or 10111.

Cape Times