A 20-year-old South African man was found dead off the coast of the Ionian island of Kefalonia in Greece after he was reported missing the previous day.
A 20-YEAR-old South African man was found dead on Friday off the coast of the Ionian island of Kefalonia in Greece after he was reported missing on Thursday.
The Greek Coast Guard said the man’s body, only known as Benjamin, was discovered by a private diver and transported to the port of Sami.
Media in South Africa has identified the man as Benjamin Bezuidenhout from Knysna.
He was said to be the son of Marisha Bezuidenhout and he had been working on one of the boat companies before his death.
They said he went for a swim before the tragic incident happened and never returned back to the boat.
The body of Benjamin (20), son of Marisha Bezuidenhout from Knysna, was found earlier this morning by a private diver in the sea area of Ormos Sami in Greece after he went missing.
Benjamin was working on one of the boat companies before his untimely passing.
Apparently he went… pic.twitter.com/VCak4F2Ih6— Live life with Passion (@1life_love_it) July 12, 2024
On Facebook, the distraught mom posted an update on the South Africans in Kefalonia Facebook group.
“Update: It is with great sadness and a broken heart that I confirm that my sons body was found where the boat was anchored.
“I want to thank each and every person for the messages, shares, connections, offer to help,” wrote Marisha Bezuidenhout.
Leading up to the discovery of Benjamin’s body, the Greek coast guard had been alerted and a search and rescue operation was launched and his body was later discovered near the island’s port of Sami by a private diver.
South Africans who had been sharing details about the search for Benjamin have sent their condolences to the Bezuidenhout family.
“Absolutely devastating I am so so sorry for your loss 😢😢😢😢May his beautiful soul rest in peace 🙏🙏🙏,” wrote one Cathy Firth Smith.
In another incident on local shores, a man who went missing after a commercial fishing vessel capsized in Umgababa beach, KwaZulu-Natal, was found dead after two weeks of searching.
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said the fishing vessel was carrying five men who were netting sardines when the tragedy occurred.
NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said three men were rescued from the surf zone and brought back to the shore by eThekwini lifeguards.
He said one of the five men, believed to be the skipper, is suspected to have suffered a medical condition while he was on the beach.
“After all efforts to resuscitate the man were exhausted sadly he was declared deceased and we continued to search for the missing man,” he said at the time.
