Sibongile Mashaba

Sibongile Mashaba

He came to the rescue of a woman who was drowning but now his body is still missing in the Vaal River in Vereeniging.

Attempts to locate him by the SAPS dive unit, paramedics and the local fire department have drawn a blank.

Netcare 911 spokesman Nick Dollman said: "A female medic spotted the woman in difficulty in the river and swam about 10-15 metres to her.

"It appeared that the victim became submerged below the surface of the water from time to time but was located by the medic who kept her afloat."

He said that the bank of the river made it almost impossible to get safely to the shore.

"A member of the public was in his boat in the vicinity and he collected a fire fighter from the shore and took him to where the two females were," he said.

"A floating rescue stretcher was used to load the victim into the boat and the rescuers and the victim were brought safely to shore.

"The man disappeared below the surface of the water and it is possible that he may have drowned," said Dollman.