A female diver in her 50’s, who was reported missing last Friday, drifted an estimated 10 nautical miles from Hibberdine to Mtwalume on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, before she managed to safely come ashore by staying calm and using sea currents to help her reach the beach.

NSRI Rocky Bay station commander Kevin Fourie says the diver, from Johannesburg, was last seen at around 08:30 during a charter dive offshore from the Mzimayi River in Hibberdene.

The dive charter boat initiated the search and was joined by several NSRI rescue crafts while NSRI duty controllers together with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre plotted the search area.

Two private fixed-wing aircraft as well as the SA Air Force 15 Squadron BK-119 helicopter with NSRI Durban rescue swimmers onboard joined in the search.

The husband and two sons of the missing diver, who had been on the same dive, were kept briefed and comforted at the NSRI Rocky Bay rescue station while they anxiously waited on news.

While the widescale search operation were ongoing, the husband at around 14:00 received a call on his mobile phone from an unknown number.

His wife had come ashore near Mtwalume at around 13:30 whereafter she hiked to a roadway until she came across a resident who helped her phone her loved ones.

The family were reunited at the dive charter company’s offices where the diver as assessed and found to have no serious injuries.

“We believe she had covered about 10 nautical miles over five hours before coming ashore,” says Fourie.

NSRI commend the diver for staying calm as she gradually used currents to make it to the shore.

The dive charter company, the private fixed-wing aircraft and all rescue resources involved are commended for the swift reaction and the extensive search operation.