The body of a 59-year-old man was retrieved from the water at Voëlklip near Herold’s Bay on Thursday. This after local law enforcement personnel, who were on patrol in the area, spotted a body floating in the water at about 11:20.

Southern Cape police spokesperson, Sergeant Christopher Spies said emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene and the body was retrieved by police divers.

Further investigation later linked the deceased to the wreckage of a bakkie also found in the water at the bottom of a nearby cliff. Details surrounding the circumstances under which the bakkie went over the cliff are scant.

The deceased was later airlifted by Air Mercy Service.

Spies said while police did manage to trace the deceased’s next of kin, his identity would not be released at this stage.

George Herald was first alerted to the incident around midday on Thursday by a Herold’s Bay resident who noticed a grouping of police cars on the cliff. At that stage, the vehicle had not been discovered yet and police suspected the deceased had slipped and fell off the rocks.

However, the discovery of the car wreck changed all that.

The picturesque recreation area, offering not only spectacular ocean vistas, but also opportunity for trail running and short mountain bike rides, has unfortunately also earned itself a dark reputation as a tried and tested suicide hotspot.