CT man survives after being swept out to sea

Spokesperson for the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Craig Lambinon has said in a statement the man is from Table View.

"NSRI at the Melkbosstrand rescue base was approached by a woman at about 7pm claiming that her 51-year-old boyfriend had not returned home. 

"She said he had launched on his paddle-ski at Melkbosstrand at around 1pm but he had failed to return and his vehicle remained parked at a Melkbosstrand beach front parking," he said.

Lambinon says the woman panicked when she returned home from work and her boyfriend, from Table View, had not returned.

He says an NSRI crew and the police launched a search for the man. 

Shortly into the search, police noticed that a man had returned to the parked vehicle. 

When they approached him, it was established that he was in fact the man they were looking for. He was safe and not injured.

Lambinon says the man relayed what had happened to him saying he had been swept out to sea by strong winds.

"He estimates he had been swept about 5km out to sea but he had later been able to reach the shore about 3km north of the Koeberg Power Station.

"He had dragged his paddle-ski along the beach until he reached the security fence at Koeberg Power Station where he abandoned his paddle-ski and walked until he reached the Koeberg Power Station security fence," he said. 

Lambinon says security guards gave the man a lift to where he was later found.

He says Koeberg Power Station security recovered the man’s paddle-ski yesterday morning.

(File photo)