EXPLAINER: Experts say 'freak wave' not behind Durban weekend drownings
A freak wave was not behind the tragic drowning of three people last Saturday at Durban's North Beach.
It was widely reported as such, with old or fake videos even being circulated on social media as footage of the incident that also left 17 bathers injured.
One of those clips which features a woman exclaiming and filming the beachfront from the balcony of a building is actually footage from the 2017 mini tsunami when large swells hit North Beach, crashing over barriers.
Experts have moved to clarify what happened in the water at the same beach this past weekend.
Lifesaving South Africa says there was no freakish occurrence.
The organisation's president Daya Sewduth says there was in fact a rip current, which is not uncommon.
READ: Freak wave kills three at Durban beach
"Rip currents are very common all along our coastline. They happen suddenly, and unfortunately this often happens when you have sand banks that form in a particular way overnight or early in the morning.
The sand bank either collapses or shifts, and that enables the formation of a rip current. A rip current is usually when this body of water sucks in towards the ocean and that's how we view this particular phenomenon itself."
Lifesaving SA has urged members of the public to avoid forwarding messages and videos that spread misinformation.
The organisation has also shared some advice on what to do if you find yourself in trouble in the water.
Listen below:
