The search for 17-year-old Medhi Narjissi, a French rugby player who was swept out to sea while swimming at Diaz Beach in Cape Point on Wednesday, has been temporarily suspended by Cape Town police, Cape {town} Etc reports.
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Narjissi, a centre for the French U18 team currently touring South Africa and a contracted player with Toulouse, was caught in powerful currents shortly after 3pm.
Police spokesperson Captain FC Van Wyk stated that the search had been ‘temporarily called off’ due to severe sea conditions. He explained that strong winds and rough waves had made it too dangerous to continue the search efforts.
‘The search will resume once conditions improve. Neighbouring police stations have also been notified to monitor nearby beaches,’ Van Wyk said.
The French team was engaged in a recovery training session when Narjissi and a teammate found themselves struggling against the rip currents. While Narjissi’s teammate was able to make it back to shore, Narjissi was unfortunately swept away, according to News24.
Toulouse released a statement on Thursday confirming that Narjissi’s family had been informed of the situation. They are working with SA Rugby and the French Rugby Federation (FRF) to bring his family to the scene as soon as possible.
The U18 International Series, which also features teams from England, Georgia, and Ireland, is scheduled to begin at Stellenberg High School on 12 August.
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Picture: medhi.njs / Instagram