Drowned teenager’s family needs closure

It has been over 20 days of anguish for the family of 15-year-old Erwin Bezuidenhout, which has been waiting anxiously for the recovery of his remains.

This tragedy is after he drowned near the Platz am Meer waterfront in Swakopmund.

Despite extensive search efforts involving the police, Navy, commercial divers and volunteers, Bezuidenhout’s body has not yet been found, leaving his family desperate for closure and a chance to lay him to rest.

The teenager drowned on 2 July, a Thursday evening, at the beach near Platz am Meer Mall in Swakopmund.

It is alleged that Bezuidenhout was swimming alone when he got into distress and disappeared beneath the water. Nearby beachgoers attempted to assist, but he could not be saved. Only his jacket and sandal would later help identify him.

For his father, Marius Bezuidenhout, the prolonged wait has been an emotional ordeal. He told New Era over the weekend that the family’s only wish is to recover their son’s remains so they can say goodbye and give him a dignified send-off.