A search by rescuers for a teenager swept out to sea on a surf-ski at Nahoon Beach in East London in the Eastern Cape on Saturday morning turned up nothing but he was later found safe and sound on the beach after managing to swim back to shore.

According to the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI)‚ the teenager and a friend had decided to try paddling their surf-skis in the sea after paddling on the Nahoon River when they caught up in strong rip currents and swept out to sea.

One of them managed to reach shore at Nahoon Beach and raised the alarm about his friend.

An extensive air‚ sea and shoreline search was launched for the missing teenager and during the search the surf-ski was found unmanned about 1.5 nautical miles off-shore of Bonza Bay in rough seas and with a 30-knot south-westerly wind gusting but no sign of the teenager was found.

“Later‚ during the ongoing search‚ the missing teenager was found safe on the beach and he confirmed that he had abandoned the surf-ski and he had managed to swim to shore‚” the NSRI said.