Friends of drowned man recall last moments at beach

The friends of a man who went missing at sea at Independence Beach at Walvis Bay on Saturday say he disappeared after taking photos at the beach.

Sea rescue teams at Walvis Bay are still searching for the body of Eddie Eiseb (34), who allegedly drowned.

Acting police spokesperson senior inspector Hilma Shomongula says Eiseb went swimming with a friend on Saturday.

At some stage the friend swam back to the shore and noticed Eiseb was missing.

His friends reported the matter to the police after not being able to find him.

Navy divers and Monarch Lifeguard and Emergency Services halted the search operation when it got dark, but resumed on Sunday. “The diving was called off yesterday since the possibility of the body to float is high. Today we only do the shore to see if the body washed ashore,” Monarch Lifeguard and Emergency Services chief Martin Muyenga said on Monday. Eiseb’s friend Quentin Keib on Monday said that he last saw Eiseb when they were talking in the water.

“We had a nice time and were taking pictures. I walked over to our friend, who is also his sister in law, to give her the phone, while he went into the water.

“I followed him and we talked while swimming. I later told him I was getting tired and wanted to go back to the shore.
“He said he would follow me. When I got to our friend, she asked after a while where he was, but we could not see him,” he said.

Eiseb’s sister-in-law, Cheslini Kharuchas, said she saw her friends getting into the water, but only saw one coming out.

“I asked him after a while where our friend was. I asked if he may have gone out to the other side, because we did not see him struggling or calling for help. He was not there.

“We still expected him to come out. We went to where his girlfriend was sitting, but he was not there. After looking around the beach, we started to panic. His girlfriend asked where he is and that we should stop joking,” she said.

Olichen Kharuchas, Eiseb’s girlfriend, on Monday said: “He could have been with us if he was out. He would not play such a joke. He knows how much he is loved. “I believe he is still in the water. We are here waiting for communication.

We just wanted to relax by the beach, but as usual when you are at the beach, you would like to swim.”

The couple has been together for three years and four months, and has an eight-month-old daughter. Meanwhile, a near-drowning was reported at the Mole at Swakopmund on Saturday. A boy (12), survived and was transported to hospital. Sean Naude of the Namibian Marshall Rangers says there have been three drownings and five near-drownings at Independence Beach since January, while six near-drownings and one drowning were recorded at the Mole. “We need municipalities to provide lifeguards at all public beaches. The Mole is a designated public beach where tourists and residents swim.

“Independence Beach is always packed, especially on weekends. There is nobody to regulate the situation there. People are drinking and children are swimming unattended.

“The navy sometimes helps during the peak season,” he says.

The coastal beaches were crowded over the past weekend due to east weather and hot weather conditions.