A Ballito surfer saw his car drive off without him while waiting for a wave at Salmon Bay on Sunday morning.
The surfer, who asked to remain anonymous, said it has become a regular occurrence for cars to disappear while you are out in the water.
“The thieves sit and wait for the surfers to hit the water, because then they know they have plenty time to steal your vehicle,” he said.
It was a beautiful, warm day on Sunday, but the mood quickly changed when his silver Toyota Hilux was stolen.
“I parked my car at The Galley restaurant’s parking just before 7am and although there were no other cars at that time, there was a car guard,” the victim said.
“I have a wet key so I took it with me in the water, but my car was still stolen. I paddled to shore and asked some of the guys on the beach to call the police.”
Umhlali SAPS responded quickly and IPSS Medical Rescue’s Paul Herbst helped to find the car by tracking the victim’s iPhone signal.
“They recovered my bakkie in Umbilo Road about two hours later, but everything in the car was gone including my clothes, iPhone, sunglasses and cash,” he said.
The bakkie was abandoned and no arrests have been made.
He said he was really happy the car was recovered so quickly by the Umhlali SAPS and that there was no damage, but that police should be more proactive with regards to stolen cars at the beach front.
“Almost every week you hear of someone’s car being stolen while they were in the lineup and it is really frustrating,” he said.
Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news.
Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here, or if you’re on desktop, scan the QR code below.
