Cops search for missing Midmar swimmer

LazyLion

LazyLion

King of de Jungle
Joined
Mar 17, 2005
Messages
107,428
Reaction score
9,943
Location
District 9
KwaZulu-Natal police were on Monday searching for a man who went missing during the Midmar Mile swim.

The 43-year-old Johannesburg man went missing on Saturday after he did not finish the race, said Lieutenant Jack Haskins.

"Herman van Straden started swimming at 11.09am and did not finish. We are still searching for him."

Captain Thulani Zwane said search and rescue police divers in Pietermaritzburg were at the scene. The organisers of the event were not immediately available for comment.


Source : Sapa /lk/jk/lp/th
Date : 10 Feb 2014 11:25
 
Not good. Tons of lifeguards but it's hard to keep an eye on every single swimmer. Get's real rough out there, especially in the beginning. Remember being swam over a couple of times when I was a lightie.
 
Large bodies of water can be treacherous. And accidents happen.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Buckley
On the evening of May 29, 1997, Buckley's band flew to Memphis intending to join him in his studio there to work on the newly written material. That same evening, Buckley went swimming in Wolf River Harbor, a slack water channel of the Mississippi River, while wearing boots, all of his clothing, and singing the chorus of the song "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin. Buckley had gone swimming there several times before. A roadie in Buckley's band, Keith Foti, remained on shore. After moving a radio and guitar out of reach of the wake from a passing tugboat, Foti looked up to see that Buckley had vanished. Despite a determined rescue effort that night, Buckley remained missing. On June 4, two locals spotted his body in the Wolf River near a riverboat, and he was brought to land.
Click to expand...
 
Garyvdh said:
KwaZulu-Natal police were on Monday searching for a man who went missing during the Midmar Mile swim.

The 43-year-old Johannesburg man went missing on Saturday after he did not finish the race, said Lieutenant Jack Haskins.

"Herman van Straden started swimming at 11.09am and did not finish. We are still searching for him."

Captain Thulani Zwane said search and rescue police divers in Pietermaritzburg were at the scene. The organisers of the event were not immediately available for comment.


Source : Sapa /lk/jk/lp/th
Date : 10 Feb 2014 11:25
Click to expand...

http://www.sport24.co.za/OtherSport/South-Africa/Tragedy-hits-Midmar-Mile-20140210

Reading the story on Sport24 i'm led to believe his name is Thabo van Straten....Thabo van Straten vs Herman van Straden ...at least both articles got his age right :D
 
I was not helped properly: Midmar Fiancee

The fiancee of Herman "Thabo" van Straten, who went missing during the Midmar Mile swim has criticised the event planners saying she was not helped properly, The Star reported on Tuesday.

Shane Jones said she was "pushed around from pillar to post" when trying to report that Van Straten was missing.

Jones said organisers went ahead with the next event after he went missing.

However, Lieutenant Jack Haskins from the police's search and rescue unit said organisers had placed restrictions on the race that followed and no one below the age of 13 was allowed to compete.

Jones said she and Van Straten's family were struggling to come to terms with his disappearance.

"It doesn't feel real. I'm trying to make myself believe that he is in a hospital somewhere," the newspaper quoted her as saying.

She said Van Straten was "extremely fit" and swam three times a week.

Race director Wayne Ridden reportedly offered his sympathy to the Van Straten family.

The 43-year-old man went missing on Saturday after he did not finish the race.

Police said on Monday they were still searching for Van Straten.


Source : Sapa /lk/aa/jje
Date : 11 Feb 2014 08:02
 
Decision pending on Midmar search

KwaZulu-Natal police would decide on Thursday evening whether to call off a search for a swimmer who went missing during the weekend's Midmar Mile.

The decision on how long to search for Herman van Straten, who went missing during the weekend's Midmar Mile, would be taken on Thursday evening, KwaZulu-Natal police said.

"We are still searching for him. We will make the decision of when to stop searching at 5pm today [Thursday]," Lieutenant Jack Haskins said.

The 43-year-old man was reported missing after he failed to emerge at the end of the swimming race on Saturday.

In 2011, Nick Mellet went missing during the 38th aQuelle Midmar Mile race. His body was found four days later.


Source : Sapa /lk/hdw/lp/jje
Date : 13 Feb 2014 15:01
 
It can get rough out there in the water. I have received accidental kicks and some on purpose in my 9 races. I was due to swim that same event but pulled out due to a sudden illness. Sad loss.
 
Shane Jones said she was "pushed around from pillar to post" when trying to report that Van Straten was missing.

Jones said organisers went ahead with the next event after he went missing.
Click to expand...

This is disgraceful: With a proper response he could have been saved.

If they responded when she started asking, he could have been saved.

"It is with much relief and also sadness that we can report that the body ... " ... WTF? Much relief?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X