Update
GEORGE NEWS – The body of a woman was retrieved from the ocean along the notorious Voëlklip road near Herold’s Bay this afternoon, 31 March.
This after the wreckage of what is understood to be a white Toyota Fortuner was spotted in the water earlier today where it had gone over the cliff.
This is the second such incident at this scenic recreation area this month. On Thursday 20 March, a 59-year-old man from George had suffered the same fate here.
The latest incident occurred at the first 90-degree bend in the gravel road at the bottom of the long descent that follows straight after turning off the R404 towards the Voëlklip lookout point.
The exact time of the incident remains sketchy. However, George Herald started receiving reports of activity in the area from about 09:30.
After receiving a call earlier this morning regarding a possible suicide at Voëlklip, emergency services were dispatched and confirmed a visual of the vehicle in the water shortly afterwards.
With the vehicle wedged between the rocks in the water, the police divers could not immediately determine whether the woman’s body was still inside, and with the rising tide, it was a race against time to find and retrieve it while the conditions were favourable.
With the new moon springtide occurring only two days ago, on Saturday 29 March, tide shifts are quick and vast, and the currents are strong. As a result, rescue teams only had about a 90-minute window before and after low tide to work in.
After a thorough search that also involved the use of a drone, the body was eventually found at about 13:00. It then took another hour and a half to retrieve it, package it and bring it back up the steep ledge to the gravel road before it could be taken away by forensic pathologists.
Although the identity of the deceased is known to George Herald, these details have not yet been made public by the police, and the publication therefore cannot reveal her identity.
Readers are requested to respect the family during this difficult time by not posting insensitive comments and not revealing the victim’s identity on social media.
Previous articles:
Man’s body and car wreck found in the water at Voëlklip
Another incident on Voëlklip road
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