GEORGE NEWS FLASH - A second body has been removed from the wreck of the bakkie in the sea at Voëlklip in Herold’s Bay this afternoon.
Three young men from George, Marnic Els, Luandro Jansen and Werner Finger, all in their early 20s, died sometime between Saturday evening and Sunday morning when the white Toyota Hilux bakkie they were in, plunged down the cliff and crashed into the sea.
The bakkie landed in a gorge in the ocean, trapping the young men inside. The position of the bakkie has caused rescue workers great difficulty retrieving the bodies. Voëlklip is a popular picnic and fishing spot and the police suspect the driver lost control of the vehicle as he was turning around on the cliff.
Captain Malcolm Pojie, Southern Cape Police spokesperson, said the mother of one of the young men reported her son missing when he did not return home on Sunday morning.
“The police received information that the men were in Herold's Bay and the police search led them to Voëlklip. Tyre tracks were found on the gravel road in Voëlklip and parts of the side mirrors were found further on. The bakkie was found in a gorge under the water later the evening (Sunday),” said Pojie.
Two of the deceased were studying at NMMU George Campus.
Rescue workers have been on the scene since last night in an effort to extract the bodies from the wreckage.
This morning (Monday) ropes and other rescue equipment were lowered to the rocks below while rescue divers waited for low tide to remove the bodies. Family and friends have been gathered at the scene throughout the day.
- Bakkie plunges down cliff: 1 body recovered
- Bakkie plunges down cliff, 3 killed
- Bakkie met 3 mans stort in see
More information to follow as it becomes available.
