Graham Hartlett, NSRI Victoria Lake station commander, said; “At 15h16 on Sunday 10 June, NSRI Victoria Lake volunteer rescue duty crew were activated following eye-witness reports of a male canoeist capsized on Victoria Lake, Germiston, and according to eye-witnesses he had disappeared under water after capsizing, in the vicinity of the public area end of the lake (nearest to the Germiston Golf club) approximately 100 meters off-shore.
“Our NSRI Victoria Lake volunteer rescue duty crew launched our NSRI rescue craft and Ekurhuleni Emergency Medical Services and the SA Police Force responded to assist.
“An extensive search using our NSRI rescue craft and an extensive shore search revealed no sign of the missing man and a Police Dive Unit was activated and during a scuba-dive search by Police divers the body of the man was located under water, in the vicinity of where he was last seen by eye-witnesses, and the body has been recovered.
“The body of the man, a 26 year old male, from Dinwiddie, Germiston, has been handed into the care of the Forensic Pathology Services.
“It is suspected that the man drowned but an autopsy will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death.
“Police have opened an inquest docket and trauma counsellors are assisting with the deceased man’s family who arrived on the scene during the search.
“The name of the deceased man has not been released and the matter is in the hands of the Police.”
