Abalone poacher lost - South Africa

[DandyDon]

Suspected poacher missing at sea near Port Alfred

A police search is continuing on Thursday between the Mpekweni Beach Resort and the Fish River Mouth for a suspected perlemoen diver who went missing on Tuesday night.

Captain Mali Govender says 29-year-old Simthembile Rhintyela was in the company of ten other divers from Pozi village, Chalumna when he got into difficulty in the sea.

The incident happened near the Mpekweni Beach resort outside Port Alfred around 11 PM on Tuesday night.

Govender says the remaining divers attempted to save their colleague but were unable to do so as the waves and currents were extremely strong.

She says it does appear to police that they divers were perlemoen poachers who were busy with illegal activities.

Local SAPS with the assistance of the K9 Search and Rescue unit searched the beaches and could not locate the missing diver.

Govender says a criminal case has been opened.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Bummer