A 47-year-old British man fatally drowned on Sunday at the Cape Vidal Nature Reserve in St Lucia.

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said their St Lucia duty crew were activated following reports from Ezemvelo Wildlife rangers of a drowning in progress just after 1pm.

“An NSRI rescue vehicle, carrying NSRI rescue swimmers, and towing an NSRI rescue craft, responded and joined Ezemvelo Wildlife rangers on the scene,” said NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon.

“A man, aged 47, a British tourist, was recovered from the surf zone by NSRI rescue swimmers. Sadly the man was found to be deceased,” he said.

“It appears that while on an arranged tour to Cape Vidal Nature Reserve the man reportedly went for a swim at the beach where he was observed to be in difficulties in the surf zone and the alarm was raised.”

He said the scene was handed over to police and an inquest docket had been opened.

Lambinon expressed his condolences to the victim’s family.

In a similar tragedy, a 47-year-old Russian tourist drowned at uMhlanga beach in February 2023.

The man is believed to have drowned at an unprotected beach.

At the time of the drowning, Shawn Herbst from Netcare 911 said they received reports of the drowning and an aerial search was conducted.

He said it is understood the man and wife had been swimming at Durban view park and he got into trouble and got swept in by the current.

The tourist was finally located by a kite surfer who brought him back onto shore and was declared deceased on scene.

IOL News