A ban on bathing was lifted on all beaches except Fish Hoek on Wednesday afternoon after authorities conducted further air survey’s over the Cape west coast to determine whether the holiday beaches were safe from further shark attacks.
Speaking to Sapa on Wednesday afternoon, Western Province lifesaving representative Nic Reyneke said: ”The ban was lifted after the helicopter from Nokia Surf Rescue conducted a survey and found no sharks visible.
”We will now conduct further air survey’s tomorrow (Thursday) morning as the seas are very rough now and we can’t see anything from the air.”
The earlier ban follows Tuesday afternoon’s attack by a four metre ragged tooth shark on local crayfish diver Craig Bovin (35) who was snorkelling off Scarborough beach. Bovin’s right arm was badly torn in the attack.
Reyneke said two sharks were spotted at Fish Hoek on Wednesday morning just 75 metres off the shore. The air survey has been covering the Atlantic seaboard from
Melkbosstrand on the west coast via Scarborough to Gordon’s Bay on the False Bay coast.
Meanwhile, Estelle Jordaan, hospital nursing manager of the Vincent Pallotti Hospital in Pinelands, Cape Town where Bovin was admitted said his condition was satisfactory.
”He was in theatre for four hours on Tuesday night and he is fine today. He is recovering in the surgical Intensive Care Unit and will probably be moved to a general ward later today (Wednesday).” – Sapa