The South African Police Service (SAPS) in Alexandria, alongside multi-disciplinary teams, conducted an intensive operation to recover a body that washed ashore along a remote coastal section between Perdevlei and Woody Cape.
Spokespersn Captain Marius McCarthy said at around 11am on Tuesday, September 1, a local fisherman arrived at the Alexandria Community Service Centre (CSC) to report discovering the body while fishing.
“Responding to the report, SAPS Alexandria members deployed to the rugged coastal terrain,” McCarthy said. “Due to extreme conditions and a complete lack of cellular reception in the area, communication with the responding team was temporarily lost.
“Out of concern for their safety, the Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC) and Forensic units launched a three-hour search party but were forced to withdraw after failing to locate the members.”
Eventually, around 8pm that night, the deployed police officers successfully returned to the station suffering from severe dehydration and exhaustion.
“The members reported that they had successfully located the body; however, a rapidly incoming high tide prevented them from completing the recovery safely,” McCarthy said.
To prevent the body from being swept back out to sea, the officers moved it higher up the shoreline before navigating back.
The official recovery operation resumed early Wednesday morning, 2 September 2026, at 6am. The active recovery team included SAPS Alexandria operational members, SAPS Search and Rescue specialists, SAPS Airwing, a dedicated drone operator from the Kariega APU and local farmers who assisted with navigating the terrain.
The LCRC and Forensic units actively managed the scene.
“Further updates, including information regarding the identity of the deceased, will be released once forensics have concluded their preliminary on-site investigation,” McCarthy said.
