After returning from an early morning swim at the Salt Rock main beach this morning (Wednesday), Erin du Toit was shocked to find her car was no longer parked where she had left it.
“The waves were small this morning so we went down to the beach as my boyfriend has been wanting to teach me how to surf,” said du Toit, who lives in Salt Rock.
“Before we walked down to the beach, I accidentally locked my keys inside the boot.
“We thought we might as well go down for our surfing lesson, and on our way back, use someone’s phone to contact a locksmith.”
Also read: Man hijacked, kidnapped at Salt Rock off-ramp
After an hour in the water, Erin and her boyfriend, Conrad located a beach-goer and used their phone to call the locksmith, who they asked to meet them in the parking lot.
When they returned from the beach to the parking lot, their car was nowhere to be found.
It is now one of multiple vehicles that have been reported stolen at the beach front parking lot over the last month.
The parking lots are usually guarded, however early in the morning they can be quite secluded.
Umhlali SAPS captain Vinny Pillay said he suspects the recent spike in car theft is linked to two men recently released on parole, as very few cases were reported prior to their release.
“We have had five vehicles reported stolen from the Salt Rock main beach in the last month, including today’s incident,” said Pillay.
“The Umhlali SAPS task team is aware of the situation and are investigating.”
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